The Material Review

Issue 036: The Last Union-Run Hat Factory, The OG Abercrombie & Fitch, Opting Out of A.I., A Q&A with Rosecrans Baldwin and Our Picks from Goldbelly.

Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the internet.

They’ve Made Hats for McCain and Trump. And Obama and Harris.

“One of the last remaining union-run hat factories in the country is in New Jersey. Over more than three decades, its workers have made hats for competing campaigns.” [NYT]

For All Your Death-Defying Needs

“Whether you were Amelia Earhart, Ernest Hemingway, or a very hungover Clark Gable, the original Abercrombie & Fitch was the perfect store for adventurers of all stripes” [Air Mail]

Your First Electric Car Could Be a Vintage Ford Bronco

“In a former naval shipyard outside San Francisco, one start-up is cooking up cars for the next century—just not the kind you think.” [GQ]

How to Opt Out of A.I. Online

“Hint: You Can’t Really” [The New Yorker]

Substack is design journalism’s irreverent new home

“Newsletters such as Snake, Ground Condition and For Scale are providing independent views on what’s worth buying” [FT]

Tom Brady Sale To Include His Unique Royal Oak Flying Tourbillon Among Other Watches

“Sotheby's "GOAT Collection" auction to feature watches and other memorabilia from the seven-time Super Bowl winner.” [Hodinkee]

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

11.11 Natural Indigo Handspun Denim Cotton Pant

Gitman Vintage Shetland Herringbone Flannel

NWKC Crew

Tom Beckbe Piedmont Jacket

Birkenstock Boston Oiled Leather Iron

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

Rosecrans Baldwin is the author of four books, most recently the bestseller "Everything Now,", a correspondent for GQ (see above for his most recent piece) and one of the most interesting people we know. He spoke with us about vintage 501s, his carry-on bags, book recs and where to eat in LA.

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

I scored a perfect fitting pair of beat-up Levi 501s at a vintage store about two months ago. The next weekend, I walked into a different vintage shop and found another. As a 501 diehard who refuses to buy new, that's a pretty good run. Last week I commissioned a signet ring from Erik Maes, a jeweler in Los Angeles, that I'm picking up this weekend and feeling pretty excited about.

What is something you’ve had your eye on?

I'm always on the hunt for a black, late '90s Toyota Tacoma two-door with low mileage. And I like some New Balances, so I've been thinking about these 993s. The trouble is, I haven't burned through my current pair, and I only keep one pair at a time.

ID your carry-on bag?

I'm a carry-on guy if the trip is two weeks or less. I picked up a tote bag from Alex Mill a couple months ago and it got me through a lot of summer travel assignments—it's pretty close to ideal. I use a Matador Flatpak bag to keep all my airplane necessities nearby, and a Penco laptop sleeve for my MacBook Air and Kobo reader. On occasion, I still use a Gap black canvas gym bag I bought in Paris nearly 20 years ago and it's holding strong—we'll see if the Alex Mill beats it out.

Can you recommend a book you have read recently?

For recent fiction, "Liars" by Sarah Manguso, anything by Tana French, and "It Lasts Forever and Then It's Over" by Anna de Marcken. I've also been rereading "HHhH" by Laurent Binet—it's a knockout. For new nonfiction, I really liked Nicola Twilley's "Frostbite."

What restaurant would you recommend to someone visiting LA?

There's too many to count. For my favorite categories, Mexican is Sonoratown near Skid Row, old-school steakhouse is Taylor's in Koreatown, seafood is Found Oyster in Hollywood, and a Thai family hole-in-the-wall would be MIYA in Altadena.

Goldbelly

Anchor Bar Buffalo Wings

Russ & Daughters Smoked Salmon Medley

Keens Steakhouse Churchwarden Pipe

Snow’s Texas BBQ Brisket

Zuppardi’s Apizza