The Material Review

Issue 003: Pizza with Drake’s, Good Suits in Philly, Buying advice from David Coggins, Investment Golf Pants and other Material Pursuits.

Taylor Stacey

and

Michael Williams

Jun 12, 2024

IN THE LOOP

Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the entire internet.

Why a jacket is the making of a man

“Whichever style you choose, the right one has the power to transform your look.” [FT]

The Ballad of the Birkenstock

“How the 250-year-old German orthopedic shoe company with “Succession”-level family drama transformed itself into a luxury behemoth.” [BoF]

American Tailoring in Philadelphia

“A visit with Glenn Au of Juniors” [Thoughts and Considerations]

“From the outside it doesn’t look like much, a squat, slightly wonky white building, a little sign in the window, the highway—that constant LA soundtrack—rumbling nearby, but starting from early evening until well into the night, there’ll be a queue outside of Quarter Sheets in Echo Park, a pizza restaurant that has quickly become one of the city’s most sought-after tables.” [Drake’s]

It's Always Tony Soprano Season

“An interview with The Sopranos's costume designer on creating a sleeper menswear legend.”[Add 2 Cart Substack]

ACTION ITEMS

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

Polo Ralph Lauren Twill Long-Bill Cap

Monitaly Western Drizzler Jacket

Vintage Polo Shorts

Tarvas Forest Bather

EltaMD Face Sunscreen

STAKEHOLDERS

A weekly Q&A with friends of the program centered around buying intelligence.

David Coggins is an author and aesthete. His newest book, The Believer, chronicles a year of fly fishing journeys around the world. Here, David shares a few valuable insights from (half) a lifetime of wisdom.

What’s a memorable recent purchase you’ve made?

I bought a bolt of tweed from Campbell’s of Beauly, the wonderful store in Scotland. The owner John Sugden cuts it right in front of you, which is an incredible sight, though it oddly makes me very nervous. It seems so final. But he’s quite confident and I have total faith in him! I’m having it made into a jacket by Jake Mueser, my friend who has a great tailor near my apartment in the West Village. Something to look forward to this fall.

Can you recommend a book you have read recently?

I really endorse, The Freaks Came Out to Write, an oral history of the Village Voice. This is a wild book, edited by Tricia Romano, and it’s about so many fascinating topics: culture, Manhattan, media, columnists with outsized personalities, real estate, sleazy politicians, fashion, theater, art, vendettas, Greenwich Village and writers who drink too much. So many people passed through the Village Voice. It’s a marvelous book. Other end of the spectrum, small brilliant novel, Winter Journey, by Isabel Colegate, wonderfully observed, wise and very English. And like all novels I recommend it’s a tidy 200 pages!

What brands (if any) have your unequivocal trust?

Those would be small brands my friends work with or own: Drake’s, Jake Mueser, Sid Mashburn. Apple lost me when they charged me for replacing a wet iPhone.

ID your carry-on bag?

Ghurka Cavalier II if it’s a civilian trip. Patagonia small Black Hole duffle, if it’s a fishing trip.

What is something you’ve had your eye on?

I’m looking for the Grenfell Shooter jacket in green. It’s surprisingly hard to find, or at least the vintage I want is hard to find, which of course just intrigues me more.

Would you share a screenshot of “For You Page”?

Now I want to be clear here: I look at houses, interiors, Japanese ceramics, the occasional fishing videos and anything to do with Bernese Mountain Dogs or Newfoundlands. I don’t understand the videos that come my way. So if it’s interesting I’ll take credit for it. But if it’s strange then blame the algorithm!