Are you a dapper dresser determined to deliver dudes from the doldrums of dull duds?
I am and always will be, and so begins the latest stylist job description I’ve written for Buck Mason.
You see, the chill of winter appears to have blanketed me with SADness for the past few months. Now that I’m home quarantining from COVID exposure, I’ve finally had some time to stop and reflect. Still, I’ve been keeping the knife sharp at my full-time gig and fulfilling that sense of connection and service to the community over on Instagram, and I’m finally back with some quick-hit recommendations.
Miles, Chet, Ralph, & Charlie: An Oral History of The Andover Shop, $30
Where to start? This book is a perfect digestif to Ametora. It distills what exactly has made the American “Ivy” style so enduring, what actual sprezzatura looks like, the rather surprising depth and breadth to which The Andover Shop helped promote the Boston Brahmin look on a global scale and the sociopolitical implications that were clearly intended results. It’s been a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I’m only 3/4 of the way into it.
Purposeful Activity #0, £20
Daniel Jenkins muses on garments he’s worn and loved in raw, poetic form. The photography is moodboard-worthy, the musings reminiscent of early menswear blogs. It’s a reminder of the intimacy and power of our personal attachment to garments and the deeper understandings we can form together as a community through reflecting on and considering our relationship with them.
A Guide to Sweater Care
Sean Crowley’s knowledge and curation are par excellence and worthy of the investment in his assortment over thrifting. Will Chen’s SLOU is a great up-and-coming brand that, from what I’ve seen, is going to be doing some interesting stuff in the coming years. I have their Raglan Merino Wool Sweater in Navy, which is one of those staple garments I know I’ll have until it’s threadbare. Luckily, this video they’ve done together will help me to delay that inevitability.
Jeff Buckley – Live in Frankfurt (1995)
Of my 90s idols, here is one who’s persevered over the years: the ethereal androgyny, the blend of guttural yawps and sirenic sighs remain—for me—unmatched. The Ricky jacket and the louche, languid V-neck slinking underneath are still sartorially quite relevant, and I relish the idea of their return as part of the perpetual indie sleaze renaissance.
Nablus Soap
Prices vary, and there are a few different “brands,” but the soap is very simple and, honestly, the only cleanser I use anymore. It leaves your skin clean and soft, and it’s something you can use head to toe, so it’s basically the OG 3-in-1. There’s a lot of info and options to buy here, but the video above is great ASMR and insight into the legacy of craftsmanship and the community behind it.
Natural Canvas Tool Bags
In the Andover Shop book, there’s a mention of Charlie Davidson using a nondescript old canvas tool bag and the insouciant practicality of it. Sure, you could go the LL Bean route, but I would probably just pick up a Klein from your local Home Depot or go for the more aesthetically austere Steele.
Bent Ballcap Brims
Finally, I’ll leave you with a styling cue I’ve noticed Gauthier Borsarello do quite well. Something that will set you apart from the trucker hat masses. It’s a simple affectation that makes it look like you fished your hat out from the bottom of a gym bag you’ve kept it in for years. It’s reminiscent of the lengths we’d go to in grade school — securing a baseball under the brim with rubber bands and other such methods we’d spend weeks on just to achieve the perfect curved brim. This time around, I just bent every inch of the brim every which way and then flattened and curved just the front ever so acutely. A sense of studied carelessness again for the win.