The Material Review

Issue 087: Extreme Morning Routines, Weaving, Ralph Lauren Nationalism, Contracting Work's Race to the Bottom, Häagen-Dazs T-Shirts and the ACL x Rivay Chore Coat.

Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the internet.

The 4 a.m. Wake-Up Is Not Just for Superman CEOs Anymore

“In the quest to be ever more productive, the morning routines of American men hit new extremes” [WSJ]

String Theory

Two exhibitions focused on weaving go beyond the functional, the folkloric, and the feminine, tracking fiber’s escape from the connotations of the grid.

How Contracting Work Became a Race to the Bottom

“The reality of being a contractor includes labor shortages, brutal competition and low, low margins.” [NYT Mag]

The Meaning of Ralph Lauren Nationalism

The Häagen-Dazs T-Shirt

“A case study of an otherwise ordinary item becoming highly desirable as a subcultural reference” [Intramural]

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

KikaNY Portfolio Case

Upstate Stock Amagansett Beach Sweater

On Cloudrock Low WP

Front Office Lightweight Portugal Trousers (Glen Check)

Pherrow's Open Collar Shirt Mustard

ACL x Rivay

Chore Coat

Together with Rivay we created the perfect functional lightweight jacket. I wanted something for travel and for daily life in California where it’s cool in the mornings and evenings. I love Rivay's attention to detail and needed a coat to throw on in the morning for school drop off. it also needed to be something that worked for a trip or a meeting in the city. Together we created a practical everyday jacket in a custom Rivay Racing Green—complete with thoughtful details, versatile functionality, and a silhouette rooted in traditional workwear.

We were lucky enough to photograph our friend Jake Lacy (the actor) in the jacket. Jake is perfect to highlight this piece since he embodies the spirit of this style as a frequent traveler, dad, and aesthete. Plus he's cool and looks good in clothes.