The Material Review
Issue 132: American Ranch Houses, Sommeliers, Railways, The Dalai Lama's Rolex, Saul Zabar, Knife City and a Q&A w/ Avery Trufelman.
Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the internet.
The 1950s American Ranch House Makes a Comeback
“Once derided as ‘boxes made of ticky-tacky,’ modest ranch homes from the burst of building after World War II are gaining appreciation—and value—for easy living and accessibility. Here’s how folks are remodeling them now.” [WSJ]
The Myth of the Sommelier
“Is there an art to wine tasting? Do the best tasters really know best?” [Cremieux Recueil]
The product of the railways is the timetable
“A railway moves people around, not trains” [Benedict’s Substack]
The Dalai Lama Owns One of the Rarest Rolex Watches Ever Made
“The vintage Padellone, aka the “big frying pan,” is considered a holy grail by collectors.” [Esquire]
Saul Zabar, Smoked Fish Czar of Upper West Side, Dies at 97
“He led his parents’ appetizing store, Zabar’s, for more than 70 years, turning it into an institution synonymous with New York.” [NYT]
The Japanese City Known for Making Knives That Are a Cut Above
“Ninety percent of professional chefs in Japan buy their knives in Sakai. TikTok users are spreading the word, and demand is skyrocketing, as international tourists want in on the action” [Smithsonian]
A shortlist of things we’ve got our eye on.
Alden x Leffot Walter Boot
Tom Bihn Yeoman Duffel
Anglo-Italian OCBD Shirt Blue Oxford
h.e.s. Ecru Chunky Knit
Present & Correct Desktop Toolbox
Quiet Golf x Adidas Samba Golf
Avery Trufelman is a journalist and the creator of Articles of Interest, the wonderful podcast and Substack that explores the stories behind what we wear. With the seventh season set to premier on Oct. 22nd, we talked about its focus on military and outdoor gear, what her reporting has revealed about her own habits, and why fashion still has the power to catch her off guard.
Would you rather shop at a great flea market or a great specialty store?
Definitely a flea market. Just the other day I was wearing this fantastic Basque ferryman shirt that I bought at a flea market- I bought it years ago just because I thought it was cool, and only found out retroactively that its particular vareuse collar helped inspire Margiela’s line for Hermes. I’ve been known to wear, like, horse bits and things I find in thrift stores.
How has working on Articles of Interest shaped the way you think about your own consumption habits? Has it led you to any specific brands or items you rely on regularly?
I know it is a bit of a bummer to say, but it’s made me lose my enthusiasm for shopping a bit. Which is sad! I used to enjoy it a lot. But the more I look at history the more blasé I get and the more I’m like “oh I’ve seen something like this before.” Like in the case of the aforementioned Basque ferryman shirt- designers, of course, borrow from the past. While I often get excited about new ways to style garments, it’s so rare that I actually want to jump up and buy a new piece of clothing. The clothes that feel really exciting and new to me are the ones that are upcycling and reworking garments, like JRAT or Official Rebrand or Circular Library. These are the brands where I am like TAKE MY MONEY!!!! … and now I am very much in bed with them and model for them and love them (so please don’t think they are paying me to say this)
What’s a memorable recent purchase you’ve made?
I do love to buy vintage hair combs and hair sticks. They’re like little miniature sculptures. And I have the excuse of telling myself they’re practical - it’s the way that I like to put my hair up. These little sculptures are also how I hold myself accountable to keep my hair long and not cut it all off - which I am constantly tempted to do. If I sink a lot of my resources into an exotic collection of hair accessories, there’s too much on the line. I can’t give it up. Recently, I (like every other substack girlie) swooned over the combed updos that Guido Palau did for The Row ss2026, so I found some vintage Chinese combs that will help me attempt to do it myself. Which is completely delusional. But fashion’s job is to make us dream, right????
Outside of your work, are there any items or product rabbit holes you’ve been diving into lately?
I have resisted the Watch Hype for so long, and been very proud of my little vintage movado that I bought at a local mom and pop watch shop when I lived in Oakland. That is what I wear day in and out. But lately I’ve been wondering if I should dip my toe into the Watch Waters, and I’ve been starting to scroll around Pushers and Chrono24, even though it’s very intimidating. It’s mostly an anthropological fascination…I tell myself …but I think that’s how a lot of watch collectors start hahah.
Can you share a bit about the new season of Articles of Interest and what listeners can expect?
The new season is about the intersection of the military, the outdoor industry, and fashion. It’s about why we dress in outdoor clothes all the time. Civilians and soldiers. For fashion and function. I think performance clothing is one of the greatest material changes in American style, and it’s very much born out of the connection between the outdoor industry and the military- which is a connection that I think the outdoor industry tries to play down. But they’re very deeply bound together. I hope listeners will come away feeling as sort of… overwhelmed and confused as I did. I thought I knew where I stood and how I felt about the military as an institution, in this extremely black-and-white way. And now I feel extremely strange about it, understanding exactly how enmeshed it is in every part of my life.
Were there any under-the-radar brands or pieces you came across in your research that you think deserve more attention?
I’m not the first person to discover that special forces military gear is cooler than civilian gear. But I’ll underscore it. The military edition Salomons are way sleeker than civilian Salomons. The special forces Canada Goose jackets are much more low key than the regular ones. Arc’teryx LEAF is in more muted colors with toned-down logos. Outdoor Research’s tactical line comes in Ranger green. It makes sense why the late Virgil Abloh wore a military edition jacket to New York Fashion Week in 2020. And not to be too much of a tease, but in the series, I’ll tell you why outdoor companies started making the better looking stuff for these elite soldiers, and how these soldiers became influencers. It all has to do with the ways we fight our wars, and it all comes back to be reflected in our style, and what we think looks good. It’s totally bonkers.
