The Material Review

Issue 061: Surviving as a Small Made in USA Company These Days, Brand Awareness at 50, Niche Baseball Caps, Red Wing Transcends Trends, Our Home Listening Room Setup and Alex Mill x OMNIGOD

Michael Williams and The Material Review

Feb 01, 2025

Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the internet.

How’s a Small, Made-in-the-USA Company to Survive These Days?

“Brands like Youer manufacture their gear exclusively in the United States for environmental, ethical, and practical reasons. Will that be enough in the face of rising costs and potential new tariffs?” [Outside]

Does a 50-something need to be brand aware?

“There’s something deeply undignified about a man of a certain age wandering around in labelled streetwear” [FT]

Head games, Part 1

“The stories behind our niche baseball caps” [One Thing]

In Santa Fe, Native American Jewelry Has a Showcase

“All year long, makers sell their creations on the portal at the historic Palace of the Governors.” [NYT]

I Watched Red Wing Boots Become a Meme. It's Time to Lace 'Em Up Again

“The legendary American-made shoes were a hallmark of menswear's lumbersexual moment, but they've always been impervious to wherever the trend cycle heads next.” [GQ]