The Material Review
Issue 008: American Pizza Supremacy, The Disappearing 'Owners Manual', Summer Slides, Digital Archives to Explore, a Wimbledon Primer and Our New Classifieds Section.
IN THE LOOP
Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the entire internet.
How America Became the Capital of Great Pizza
“Since the early 2000s, the variety and quality of pizza made by ambitious chefs all over the country have only gotten better.” [NYT]
How the ‘Owner’s Guide’ Became a Rare Book
“A good manual is hard to find.” [The Atlantic]
Everything You Need to Know About Repairing a Watch
“Here's the safest, most cost-effective way to go about fixing your cherished timepieces.” [GQ]
‘In Business to Save the Planet’: The Patagonia Paradox
“The American outerwear giant’s profits are meant to fight climate change, but its means of generating them do the opposite. CEO Ryan Gellert talks to BoF about the contradiction at the heart of Patagonia’s business, why he’s gambling on resale and the company’s efforts to curb consumption.” [BoF]
How Nike Missed the Boom in Running Culture
“Runners say the sneaker giant has stepped back from the community, opening the door for Hoka, New Balance and others” [WSJ]
Ralph Lauren’s Team USA Uniforms are Hit or Miss
“The looks raise the question: What does it mean to dress sporty in America?” [WaPo]
ACTION ITEMS
A shortlist of things we’ve got our eye on.
Rubato R Shirt
Island Slipper Slide
Stan Ray OG Painter Pant
Montbell Mono Pouch
William Lockie x Frans Boone Super Geelong Polo
DEEP DIVE
Digital Archives
The History of Gear Project
Vitra Design Museum
MoMA History of Exhibitions
Smithsonian Online Virtual Archives
SPOTLIGHT ON
Wimbledon
String Theory
The Racket Doctor Restringing
Sunspel Riviera Polo
Tennis Ball Saver
ASICS Gel-Resolution
CLASSIFIEDS
Welcome to our weekly “Classifieds” section of the newsletter. The idea is to find an easy way to promote things happening in our ecosystem. Think of this space to promote your eBay shop, event, newsletter, app, book, tool or your personal brand (if you must). Drop us a line at if you’re interested in buying an item in an upcoming issue. Price: $200 for four ads. Maximum 280 character per ad.
🎟️ Pasadena City College Flea Market
Sunday, July 7th 8:00am - 3:00pm. 1570 E. Colorado Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91106
Admission is free
🛒 Long Leash Magazines Summer Residency
Tues - Sunday 11:00am -5:00pm. SIGNAL, 821 Traction Ave, Los Angeles, California 90013
🎟️ Melet Mercantile Hamptons Shop-in-Shop Opening
Saturday, June 29th 4:00pm - 8:00pm. Utilitaria M669 Montauk Highway, Montauk, NY
⛳️ Summer golf is in full effect and this is the best performance polo out there.
String Theory is such a terrific collection.
Regarding tennis books, I recently read The Circuit by Rowan Ricardo Phillips and it is really excellent. Like String Theory, about tennis but also about many other things, and much deeper than just who-won-what.