A broken-in, brushed flannel paired with a denim jacket or bomber is always a hit, as is slightly stiff, velvety corduroy that slides right into a down puffer jacket like scissors through holiday wrapping paper.

Then there are the fuzzier knits that call for something underneath. Think honeycomb-patterned thermals, which can be worn snug under fleeces or sized up and swagged out like a crewneck sweatshirt. And don’t forget breathable, long-sleeved tees, which create a barrier between your delicate skin and virgin wool or mohair cardigans.

We’ve put together 20 fall shirting options for those brisk school drop-off mornings and for layering up when the weather turns harsh.

If you’ve been following along, we’ve already put together guides on:

• Watch caps and Beanies

• Fall Jackets

• Knitwear

• Fall Trousers

• Transitional Jackets

If you’re new to the guides, we drop one a week and the categories are always different. If you want access to these shopping guides for yourself or a loved one, you can subscribe here.

If you’re new to the guides, we drop one a week and the categories are always different. If you want access to these shopping guides for yourself or a loved one, you can subscribe here.

A few notes about these guides ❤️

1. As always, if you’re looking for trendy shit on the cheap, this isn’t the best place to look. You need the right stuff, not more stuff.

2. A lot of these recommendations tend to be medium to higher price point (though not always). If you’re looking for quality, affordable options, I always recommend thrifting what you can (like eBay, vinted, etc), or looking at options like Uniqlo.

   1. If you like these guides, share them with a homie, partner, family member, lover, or anyone who would appreciate it!

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Earlier this year, we wrote about Stone Island and why it sits differently in our heads than most brands calling themselves “luxury” right now.

And I will defend that take, because a brand like Stone has something nearly all brands lack: an obsession with the process.

When you look at the clothing industry broadly, almost everyone operates the same way. A new drop every few weeks, campaigns that rip from another brand or creative, and collections that optimize for sHaReHoLdEr VaLuE.

We’ve seen this bleed into the luxury sector, and when it does, brands start cutting corners on product quality, research & development, and process.

… So much so that we’ve forgotten what true luxury feels like, from how it looks to the way it feels.

When we hear the word “luxury,” we often think of the word “craftsmanship” or “handmade,” both of which have a seat at the table. Another angle on what makes a product feel luxurious is experimentation.

And we don’t talk enough about that.

What happens when you know a fabric or material so well that you can predict how it will evolve before you ever cut into it?

Stone Island has built an entire company around that type of experimentation, and their NO SEASONS collection, which they just revived, is perhaps the clearest example I’ve seen.

WTF IS NO SEASONS?

NO SEASONS was a creative project Massimo Osti (the founder) started in 1989 to test how different fabrics and materials react when you manipulate them, mixing dyes at high temperatures and using different washes.

The intention was to build products that could transcend seasonality and trends, and the latest NO SEASONS campaign maintains that approach.

They just released a hooded jacket that comes in six of Stone Island’s signature materials:

• Crinkle Reps

• Nylon Prismatico

• Tela Resinata

• Raso Gommato

• Panno

• DAVID-TC

What I love about this project is that Stoney describes it as a continuation of ongoing research.

Which checks out to me, because it feels like a controlled experiment. The piece (the shape) stays fixed while the fabric varies, so any difference you notice between the six jackets comes from the materials.

A bit on the DAVID-TC

Stone sent me the DAVID-TC jacket to test for myself.

On the technical side: the fabric is a blend of Japanese polyester and polyamide, and under a microscope, you’ll notice the cross-section is shaped like a star.

But stepping back from that, I go back to the process again.

Most brands dye their product while it’s still a roll of fabric, and then they cut the pattern and sew it into clothing.

Stone Island does the opposite.

They fully sew all these jackets first, from seams and zips to pockets and hoods. THEN they put them in a dye bath and treat them with an anti-drop agent, a finish that helps them shed water and dirt.

The bath is pressurized and runs at 130°C. Mills usually dye polyester at those temperatures, but they don’t typically do it with finished garments. When it goes through the wash at that temperature, it goes through heat-induced compression.

The fabric shrinks and tightens, and its hand and body change completely. It comes out looking dense and almost canvas-like.

The jacket also has a detachable down liner for the colder months that you can remove when it warms up.

How they design jackets

But if the jacket shrinks in the bath, how do you end up with your size?

That’s where The Hub enters the chat.

In Ravarino, a small town in the province of Modena, where Stone Island was founded in 1982 (and still works today), they have a design facility called The Lab.

This lab has decades of research, archives, recipes, formulas, and so on.

It’s where they calculate how much each fabric will shrink during high-temperature garment dyeing, so pattern makers can account for it in advance. So they have exact measurements of how big to cut the jacket intentionally, before it shrinks later.

Pretty crazy.

The design facility also has a color lab with an archive of more than 60,000 dye recipes for nylon, cotton, polyester, and blends. A staggering amount of research and attention to detail for a brand that’s only been around for a few decades.

Calculating shrinkage before the first cut shows care in understanding the product.

This is craftsmanship.

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When the methods outlive the founder

Osti has been gone for two decades, but the brand has managed to maintain this level of quality in their product after all these years, which is rare to find in brands nowadays. But I guess that’s what you get when the brand was literally built as a fabric experiment.

After Osti left in 1995, British designer Paul Harvey took over the following year, and after Harvey left in 2008, Carlo Rivetti replaced the single-designer model with a multicultural team.

Experimentation has been constant despite the change, because it’s in Stone’s DNA.

The case for experimentation as luxury

In a world that seems to reward fast, cheap production, the NO SEASONS collection is a good reminder that experimentation of product should be revered the same way that “handmade” product is.

Obviously, craftsmanship by hand is and will be important. But understanding your materials so well that you know what they’ll evolve into and what size they’ll shrink to is too.

And Stone Island deserves their flowers for this because they’ve held themselves to this standard for decades, and the result is some of the most interesting products imaginable.

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Designer Carter Altman is 28, and when I spoke with him over the summer, I could see right away how his clothes reflect him. “I’m trying to build worlds that people can inhabit and not be inhabited by,” he says.

For someone so young, he sounds like an astute, seasoned veteran of the clothing game when he describes shirting made at a mill in France or the sun-faded techniques used on the label’s Japanese flannels. Altman co-founded Carter Young with business partner Adam Kaplan.

Originally from Detroit, Altman moved to New York, where he worked with companies like Helmut Lang, Kith, Alyx, and Urban Outfitters. He launched his label in 2020, at just 21, but then the pandemic hit—forcing him to retool before officially relaunching in 2022.

If fashion were measured in dog years, you could say Altman’s label has matured accordingly. So much so that he now operates from his studio in East London. What began as a label focused on denim and sportswear, still at the heart of the collection, has expanded to incorporate Altman’s background in bespoke tailoring. “The idea of making tailoring contemporary and accessible is what really gets me going,” he says. He adds, “Denim and shirting and ripped T-shirts and tailoring—yeah, what more do you really need?”

Since the brand’s inception, Altman has dressed A-list celebrities like Ethan Hawke and Paul Mescal, as well as Belgian-British drummer and record producer George Daniel. Konrad Kay, co-creator of HBO hit series Industry, also shouted his love for the brand in our interview from earlier this year.

Although he’s now some 3,700 miles from where he grew up, that Midwestern niceness still follows him. In our conversation, we talk about the real appeal of good clothes, the blend of romanticized childhood memories and Gus Van Sant films that inspired his AW26 collection, what it means to be an American designer today, and why he hopes to open a physical space in the near future.

C/O Ellis Scott

You launched your label at just 21. Looking back seven years later, how do you think you’ve grown alongside the clothes?

I tried to launch the brand when I was 21, right when I graduated from university. It was February 2020. And then March came around, and the pandemic hit, so the brand kind of had a false start.

I think, especially with the launch of our custom tailoring offering last November and the continued expansion of our tailoring, that’s all born out of me being in a different place in my life and having different needs for the type of clothing I wear.

Ultimately, the people around me are kind of going through the same life stages as I am. Early on, we were focused on denim, shirting, and sportswear, which is still in the line and very much a part of it, I think as I’m growing older, and so is my age cohort of customers, we’re becoming interested in things that have a little bit more of a sense of occasion or a kind of classical construction to them.

Has your idea of what makes a “good” garment changed?

I think as we start to learn more about manufacturing and about who our customers are and what they want, we’re really able to approach it from a perspective of fabric, manufacturing, and garment construction first.

Whereas before, it was more centered around the aesthetic ideation; now the aesthetic is informed by the quality of the garment. I think that’s a result of the people who shop the line getting a little bit older, having a little bit more money, and us speaking to a wider customer base.

You’ve lived and worked in Detroit, New York, and now London. How has each place shaped the way you think about design?

I think being from the Midwest is the most important factor in the way that I filter information, build products, and think about the world.

When I was a kid, I always wanted to do something in the creative industries, but I didn’t really understand how you made a career out of it. It was really an abstract concept until I learned that there are people who design footwear, and the shoes that people buy represent the commercial value behind being a creative professional. Maybe I can get into that. That led me down the pathway of clothing.

But then, when I lived in New York, I learned about the fashion industry and contemporary labels. Obviously, just being connected to a global city was my first entry into fashion as a cultural medium, outside of just a product-based specification.

Then, being in London—I mean, having access to the entire European fashion system has really given me a global perspective on what I do. So I still have that same filter for processing information, but now it’s much more connected to, I guess, cultural happenings and not just product, even though the product is very important.

Detroit isn’t always part of the mainstream fashion conversation. What do people misunderstand about style or creativity in the Midwest?

In major cities, you have the media apparatus, which gives more visibility to creatives putting out work in major cultural hubs. But it doesn’t mean that there’s a dearth of talent anywhere in between. I think it just means that there’s less infrastructure to support and amplify those voices.

So I think the misconception is that nothing’s happening anywhere. It’s just that no one’s necessarily there to cover it. Unfortunately, I feel like I had to move away to be taken seriously as a global creative voice, rather than if I had just stayed in the Midwest.

Your clothes feel honest and wearable, without any excess. Where does that philosophy come from?

Well, I think it was something that developed over time. When I first started, I was more concerned with building out a fashion product that told a story and had a character. And that’s not to say I’ve completely foregone that. I’ve started to realize that if people are going to spend money on clothing, they want something that’s going to be utilized in a way that creates an equal value exchange for what they’re buying.

Some people look for a product where they’re buying into the story, and that’s great. But it didn’t feel relevant to the way I lived my life or the customer I wanted to speak to. So it really developed over time, listening to my customer and thinking about what I actually engage with.

I mean, I look at things that have been worn, worn out, and repaired. To me, that feels more interesting than just buying something new that approximates those things but then goes out of fashion with the trends.

Why do you think fashion still gravitates toward spectacle when so many people just want great clothes?

I think from a product perspective, it’s about people. The average consumer is just more aware of clothing and what goes into making it. They’re more aware of fabrics and fit, and what fits them. I think that’s kind of just been a general raising of consciousness among consumers over the last couple of years.

But also, I think it’s kind of a reaction to modern times. Media is so all-consuming and fragmented, and it kind of subsumes individual selfhood into this idea of, like, this is what everybody’s doing right now; if you’re not doing it, you’re kind of not participating.

I think people are just reacting against that and saying, like, I want to strip things back. I want to pare back the noise a little bit. I want things I know are good for objective reasons, not just because I’m told they’re good. So customers are reacting and gravitating toward things they can feel, touch, and understand with their own eyes, instead of needing someone to tell them they’re great.

Sustainability isn’t just a talking point for you. You’ve consistently worked with deadstock and leftover materials. Why has that always been important to the brand?

There are a few reasons. When we were starting, we couldn’t command the buys at major fabric mills that a lot of other people could, which would have allowed us to develop our own custom fabrics. So it gave us an opportunity to use things that were really rare, unique, and special without paying those huge development fees or reaching those quantities.

But also, I think there’s a lot of great production in the world already. It doesn’t always need to be new to feel fresh and relevant. So I think sometimes when you find a material that’s exciting, you just take it at face value.

What story were you trying to tell with the Fall/Winter 2026 collection?

It’s kind of an amalgamation of my experience in the Midwest.

It’s a mixture of a romanticized vision of growing up and Gus Van Sant movies, but I’m really drawn to the idea of these characters in these films. They wear one jacket, and it takes them through the entire day, from morning to evening to the next morning.

I started thinking about that mixture in terms of wearing tailoring and contemporary styling with formalwear, and how a lot of these dress styles are still relevant to modern life, but nobody really has an occasion to wear a three-piece suit with a ruffled shirt unless it’s for a very specific wedding. It didn’t feel as formal, but what felt relevant was a pair of jeans mixed with a blazer.

So I started pairing those items together, and I came up with this kind of tiered mixture.

One side of the collection is true vintage washes that approximate real vintage things in my world and my wardrobe, things that hold up over time but with contemporary detailing. The other side is clean tailoring made out of beautiful deadstock fabrics and produced in great factories. And it’s where those two things meet and collide that the collection gets interesting.

All of the shirting is from this great mill in France, which makes these handloom fabrics with incredible baubles and textures in the yarns. So it’s kind of classic shirting, but with this great, homespun feel. And then there are all these vintage washes we’ve done, like our vintage-wash Japanese flannels with a sun-faded technique that really makes them feel worn and broken in.

You describe your work as a kind of “New Americana.” What does that phrase mean to you, if anything?

I think what it means to me is that we’re engaging with the cultural canon of American imagery and American style, but we’re not just a vintage reproduction brand. We’re trying to add something to that language without feeling trend-driven or unfocused. I mean, we’re really focused on trying to build something in contemporary dialogue.

What does it mean to be an American designer working today, especially while living abroad?

It’s a unique mantle because I do feel like, given where media attention is focused in the rest of the world, there’s not a lot of American talent being championed, and I guess I’m thinking about the platform that I think a lot of American designers deserve.

You’ve dressed people like Paul Mescal for Wimbledon and George Daniel for his wedding to Charli xcx. How do you approach those one-off moments without losing the identity of the brand?

I think that is the brand’s identity: the ability to help someone’s individual style show through. The idea of making tailoring contemporary and accessible is what really gets me going. My background is in bespoke tailoring, so denim and shirting and ripped T-shirts and tailoring—yeah, what more do you really need?

Finding a way to work with each client to channel their best version of themselves is key. Suiting is seen as the platonic ideal of the menswear pyramid, so figuring out how to express someone’s individual character through something with so many rules and perceived archetypes is kind of the brand’s vision.

You also collaborated with the Madrid-based footwear brand Paracia. How did that relationship come together?

Well, my girlfriend was in Spain, and she came across the store. I think she was just walking around Malasaña one day and was like, “Wow, these are really cool shoes,” and sent me the Instagram. This was a couple of years ago. Over time, I met up with Knu in Paris, where we have this mutual friend, Manuel, who runs Camiso’s Manolo, and I was a big fan of his work.

I think over time we just started talking about what it could look like to do something together. Specifically, with the first shoe we did, the non-safety, I was thinking a lot about Keanu Reeves and the way he wears suiting with beat-up work boots. I felt that was very much in our world.

So I asked Knu if he’d be open to a pre-distressed version of his non-safety shoe, and then we turned that into a derby version for the next season—something a little more formal, but still with the weird proportions and beautiful leather. So it was quite natural. It wasn’t really that strange for me. I mean, my first love is shoes, so it was exciting to get to try something else.

As the brand keeps growing, what still excites you the most? What feels like the next challenge?

Honestly, what excites me most is this iterative process we’ve fallen into every season. We now know what our customer is looking for. We know our core shapes and styles, and we’re able to further expand on the brand’s archetypal silhouettes. Then, as newness comes in, there’s custom tailoring and new denim washes.

I know it doesn’t necessarily sound like the most exciting thing, but iterating on something I know people love and finding new ways to make it exciting and relevant feels like an even more exciting challenge as a designer than designing from a blank slate.

I think we want to keep making products that people care about and expand our custom tailoring offering. It’d be great if we could establish a physical presence somewhere. I don’t have any news on that yet, but it’s something we’re actively working toward. Finding ways to engage more deeply with our customers around those kinds of products is what we’re really excited about.

The best beanies come in all kinds of funky patterns, pops of primary colors, and materials like cotton, wool, and cashmere. While there may not be much that separates us from our barista buddies, we can definitely agree that we all start salivating when the temps drop and it’s time to dust off the old ribbed and waffle-stitched cold-weather accessory.

We’ve rounded up 15 options that feel a little more special than something you’d snag from an end-cap at the mall. Here are a few we’ve curated to get you through the colder months and all the way to springtime.

If you’ve been following along, we’ve already put together guides on:

• Fall Jackets

• Knitwear

• Fall Trousers

• Transitional Jackets

• Fall Footwear

If you’re new to the guides, we drop one a week and the categories are always different. If you want access to these shopping guides for yourself or a loved one, you can subscribe here.

A few notes about these guides ❤️

1. As always, if you’re looking for trendy shit on the cheap, this isn’t the best place to look. You need the right stuff, not more stuff.

2. A lot of these recommendations tend to be medium to higher price point (though not always). If you’re looking for quality, affordable options, I always recommend thrifting what you can (like eBay, vinted, etc), or looking at options like Uniqlo.

   1. If you like these guides, share them with a homie, partner, family member, lover, or anyone who would appreciate it!

Cashmere

Links to cop

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From the moment I stepped in, it felt awkward, and their responses to my questions were short, and they seemed to be annoyed by any question I asked.

At first I thought maybe I had done something wrong, but after thinking through the dozens of other brands I touched base with, this was the only one that felt sour.

Jeremy Smith knows that feeling intimately, not just as a business owner who has spent years trying to build the opposite of it, but as a customer who experienced it early and never forgot.

That experience is baked into everything Standard & Strange is and everything it isn’t.

The Origin of the name Standard & Strange

The name Standard & Strange comes from author & urban theorist Jane Jacobs, specifically from her book The Death and Life of Great American Cities.

“A healthy city is one where it’s mixed in every possible way. Somewhere to eat, places to shop, places to rest, a library. It’s safe because it’s alive…there’s always someone looking out, always people around.”

The first S&S store started in a horse stable that had been converted into storage lockers and then into retail. They were the new use for the old space. “No one blessed us to go start a retail store. No one told me I was allowed to go make my own garments. No one patted any of us on the head and said you can go ahead and be the expert in this industry.”

Jeremy tells me how Jane did the very same thing. “She [Jane Jacobs] didn’t go to school for it. She had no permission. She didn’t ask. She just showed up and took on Robert Moses with the expressways and everything. And I read it and thought: this is exactly the way I think.”

Jeremy knows that this comes with challenges, mainly having to be the ‘perpetual amateur,’ someone who has to work harder to be right because they don’t have credentials to coast on. “Doing it this way means I’ll work three times as hard to be right about every single point. And you see that in Jane Jacobs’ work. She knows she’s coming from behind, she knows she’s an underdog, and she’s just going to do it — kick the door down, not ask for permission or forgiveness, and just get it done.”

And now they’re proving how this works in three locations: Berkeley, Santa Fe, and New York City.

Visiting the New York Shop

A few months ago I got to visit the New York location on a quiet Monday afternoon and experienced a steady stream of people coming though: one customer was picking up an pair of jeans he had gotten hemmed, another happened to pop in after “walking past it every day for months,” and a guy who came in hoping to find sunglasses without any idea of what else they sold.

Nobody got a different experience.

“I want someone to walk in and have a good time. Maybe they can’t afford to buy our stuff, but at least they understand why it costs what it costs, where the money goes, what the value is. I don’t want them walking out feeling sour.”

That consistent experience came from years of visiting stores that treated customers like an inconvenience. Jeremy shares with me an experience at a prominent denim retailer that solidified everything he didn’t want Standard & Strange to be, a place with great product, zero warmth, and a sense that you only belonged in that shop if you’d passed some sort of invisible litmus test. “Their ‘just buy the cool shit and shut up’ attitude put me off more than going into the Ralph flagship in New York when I was twenty-one.”

The ‘Cool kid’ Issue in Menswear Today

I asked him where he thought the issue started. “The cool kid thing is a plague in the industry,” he says flatly. “Every single store in my category is in this together. We have to be respectful of the people that keep the doors open.”

The key for that at S&S is the hiring process. Nobody comes on (and nobody stays on) that isn’t willing to do the work of understanding a product, who made it, and why it deserves a spot in the store. Moving the product seems to be second priority.

Kyle, the manager at the NY location, is a perfect example of this. As we talk, he tells me why a specific brand is stocked, about the factory, the fabric sourcing, the decision behind stocking it over something else, it’s the kind of depth that can’t be faked.

“After more time working with Japanese brands, going to Japan frequently and seeing that standard of excellence for how you treat a customer, that really made us double down on customer experience and being the opposite of what people expect from an expensive store.”

He adds something that was refreshingly honest to hear: “You can get good service, but it’ll be icy cold. Nordstrom, good service, still kind of icy. We allow our staff to all be who they are. No dress code. No music instructions for the stores. I want everyone’s personality to come out. I want it to feel like people work there.”

The S&S crew are, by his own admission, people who know what it’s like to be on the outside looking in. “Almost everyone who works for me has been deeply, absolutely uncool — not a shred of social credit to our names. We get what it feels like to be treated that way. And in response, rather than pushing people away, we’re saying: here’s how you do it. Here’s how you be welcoming.”

And they do it very, very well.

Putting People before Product

There’s a theoretical version of S&S that exists where Jeremy drives an expensive vintage truck and pays himself a lot more.

And he’s thought about it, not because he wants it, but because he understands how close the math gets. Sixteen employees with healthcare. A compensation structure where he doesn’t make more than twice what his lowest-paid staff member makes.

“If I made them pay their own healthcare premiums and took away a few bucks from everyone, I’d be making a few hundred grand a year. So I could be, you know, a watch collector, Porsche owner, a second house in California.” He sits with that for a second. “But where does that money come from exactly? Somewhere along the line, someone is getting fucked.”

The more I hear him talk, the clearer it becomes that this isn’t performative for the sake of the interview. This is the framework he’s built his business around. When he talks about the relationship his employees, he references it as a sort of social experiment where once you hire someone, you are responsible for them and their wellbeing.

“I’ve got sixteen people who can live off what they make in this business, which is nearly impossible. They live near where they work. They all have healthcare. That’s the best I can do. And going to my employee’s wedding and seeing everything that’s happened because of this business — the friendships, the people who met each other — that is a thousand times more valuable to me than a piece of metal on my wrist.”

In return, he expects there to be a depth and curiosity and willingness to learn about what’s on the floor. And not just what it is, but why it’s there. It’s the same standard he holds himself to, and it’s seen downward at every level of the store.

There Are No Shortcuts

Jeremy now lives in Japan, a move that allowed him to be more committed to understanding how things are made while being in proximity to the mills and factories that are doing the work. He tells me how a boot factory he works with is 40 minutes away, or how a fabric meeting in Hiroshima can happen on a 24-hours notice, something impossible to do when you’re stateside.

I’ve yet to meet anyone committed enough to their craft that they’d up and move their whole life to become more involved. He tells me about a breakfast he had a few weeks ago that helped me understand why this proximity to those people and mills mattered.

“What was supposed to be a chill breakfast last week turned into an eight-hour seminar on how to design denim fabric. I walked away with homework. I’ve got a bag of denim scraps in my bedroom that I’m taking apart meticulously — looking at twist, slub, fiber length. I’m all in on everything I do.” He pauses and chooses his next words carefully. “I don’t see most other people doing this. There are brands that talk a big game and don’t follow up. They’re spending too much time trying to appear cool and not enough time pushing themselves to be better.”

The more he talks about it, the more I’m understanding that as much as he cares about the product, he cares about the people who are going to wear it just as much. “I couldn’t just send drawings and files around the world to make product. I’m making very personal items for people that are going to live on their body. I need to go see where they’re being made.”

We talk about the his hobbies and how they parallel to his work, and there’s a clear pattern here. Running, woodworking, sewing, reading — everything he does for fun seems to require a commitment to a long arc and avoids any possibility of taken a shortcut. “You start at zero, and you don’t have a choice other than starting at zero.”

It is about this point in the interview where I developed a really…reverent appreciation for how Jeremy lives his life with integrity, both in his work and out of it. It’s the thing that stuck with me the most since our conversation, and its a thought that has challenged me in my own life as well.

Coming Soon: In-House Denim

S&S will soon be launching its own in-house denim, a decision that I thought might seem counterintuitive for a store that already carries some of the best Japanese selvedge available anywhere. How do you (and why would you) compete with some of the best existing brands in the world…especially when they’re stocked alongside your own product?

“We could have made jeans a decade ago. Price would have been great. Could have gotten them under $200. But we didn’t have anything to say at the time.” The idea of having something to say vs. filling a rack is a theme that comes up over and over again, and it’s how Jeremy judges every in-house brand he’s seen succeed or fail.

In one of my favorite moments on the call, I mentioned a big retailer’s in-house line and before I knew it, Jeremy began to dissect it in real time. We found a t-shirt: an organic cotton jersey tee at $130, no knitting machine mentioned, no mill information. He called it ‘very expensive filler.’

“Whereas if you look at our T-shirt — it’s loop wheel. Long staple cotton. Pre-washed to reduce shrink. Everything about it is custom and very specific. And because of that, I sell thousands of them a year.” An impressive thing to say considering the shirts cost $95. I will say though, after feeling them myself it all made sense and I understood why someone would want to own a few of these.

“It needs a reason to exist. It can’t just be rack filler to get margin. That’s where you see a lot of stores fail — they’re just making filler for margin. None of it has a perspective or a point of view.”

The jeans follow the same logic. He’s using the same supply chains as the Japanese brands he stocks in store, with the fit emerging from the staff collectively giving input. “I believe in it. And I believe in it in ten years, in twenty years. Maybe you put it away if we all make the collective mistake of going skinny again — then you’ll take it back out, because you’ll be like, I want to be comfortable, and I want a rise a human can wear.” It’ll be out first in indigo, and then black, and should hit around $300, tariffs permitting.

He frames the house brand as an on-ramp to a world that a customer might not know exists. “It’s not about undercutting pricing on the same product…as soon as you get in that game, you’ve shot yourself in the foot, because no one wants that.” It’s a very approachable way to present the S&S standards while keeping their point of view intact. The goal is a product that will sit on the floor next to all these other legendary brands without needing to be justified.

Final Thoughts

“You do not have enough days in your life to enjoy what you’re buying if you buy too much of it. Every object you touch and bring into your life adds a lot of weight. Too much stuff is a curse.”

For a store that makes its living selling things, this is a really disarming position. When I poke at the idea a bit, Jeremy explains that he’d rather someone spend an hour at Standard & Strange talking, learning, leaving with nothing, and walking out better informed than have them make an anxiety purchase they’ll regret.

“Shopping doesn’t mean you have to buy something. Come in, hang out, talk, learn. Then it’s a social activity.” That is the version of the store that he’s building, and in a way, it’s the version of the store that has always been. A place where you don’t need to spend money to justify stopping in, a store where the staff is genuinely glad that you came in, whether or not you’re buying.

He acknowledges that it’s also just good business in the long run. The stores that treated him like an outsider early on didn’t earn his loyalty. Standard & Strange has spent over a decade earning it from thousands of people, one conversation at a time.

“Without the people,” he says, “none of this means anything to me. It’s just stuff you can make.”

We always enjoy putting together our What the Homies Are Wearing installments and seeing the Sprezza community put that shit on. One of our team members mentioned in our team thread, “When are we going to do a team edition?”

Happy to say the text made it out into the real world, and you’ll get to put some faces to names you may have seen pop up over the last few seasons.

From the East Coast, Midwest, West Coast, and Europe, here are a few fit pics from the fellas and what we’re into for the fall season.

Leon Hedgepeth — Cincinnati, Ohio

Editor-at-large, Sprezza

What’s the one item you’re most excited to wear this fall?

I’m stoked to wear this jacket from Jeanerica for the season. It’s like a super-thick Lee Storm Rider 101 denim jacket, just in a corduroy fabric. The cut fits my build great, and the brown color is beautiful and looks lavish.

How would you describe your go-to cold-weather look?

All my looks, no matter the season, tend to revolve around a good pair of jeans. I’m a sucker for a relaxed or straight pair and have been wearing these from Nanamica on repeat. Also, thermals—my favorites are from Soft Goods, imogene + willie, and One of These Days. I’m always wearing one, especially under itchy knits.

I always approach the mornings the same when it comes to getting dressed in the cooler months. Denim and a thermal are the base, then depending on how cold it gets, I’ll throw on a zip hoodie, a crewneck sweatshirt, then another layer of outerwear. I like to think, “How would the fit perform if it all of a sudden gets too hot?” Then I can adjust the layers as needed.

What does your footwear rotation look like for the season?

I’m heavy on derbies this season. This veg-tan pair from Dr. Martens will hopefully look different in the spring, the more I break them in through the fall and winter. I’ve been wearing mine with light-washed RRL jeans.

Morjas makes some of the most comfortable “grown-up” shoes. My black grain split-toe derbies from them can be worn with jeans, chinos, and even a black corduroy suit I have tucked away.

I’m also hyped to wear the Super Rando low boots from Galibier. They’re a French footwear brand that just came back from dormancy and are also the sister company to Paraboot.

Any must-have lightweight jackets you recommend for layering in the fall?

My Stone Island double-coated overshirt is essential this time of year, and the pockets are insanely spacious. A Levi’s 1953 Type II is something I wear year-round, and Patagonia’s Lightweight Down Sweater Cardigan is featherweight but insulates like a mutha.

This cardigan from Colbo in this deep espresso-brown colorway will be worn an absurd amount of times, by itself and under overcoats. Although it’s not a jacket, the full placket makes it feel like one.

Are there any new pieces or trends catching your eye this season?

I enjoy seeing folks wearing Charvet flannels on my feed. Feels like a more tasteful follow-up to the lumbersexual movement from the aughts. The freakier the flannel, the better.

Every look from Heugn’s AW26 campaign is a banger.

Do you follow any personal style do’s or don’ts for fall dressing?

Do: Find your three to four color palettes for the season and build around them. Whether that’s neutral or four different shades of green, the restraint will make for interesting outfits and take the guesswork out of getting dressed.

Don’t: Never wear a short-sleeved T-shirt with a puffer vest. Try a form-fitting gilet with a thermal underneath.

Mariano Leonczik — Maplewood, New Jersey

Head Graphic Designer, Sprezza

(I apologize in advance for my lack of good editorial photos - I thank my wife for letting me wear boots on the rug, and yes I did vacuum afterwards)

What’s the one item you’re most excited to wear this fall?

I just got a pair of the B-Type boots from Paracia that are a beefed up, roided out take on the classic duck boot that I’m ecstatic about. I love when a brand is able to riff off of a classic and come out with something cool and interesting. Oh, and they make me 6’5”.

How would you describe your go-to cold-weather look?

Practical and survival based. As a dad with a toddler, I cannot have enough pockets for snacks, trinkets, acorns and rocks, or whatever else she picks up. I default to a pair of jeans, and then finesse a way to include 3-4 more pockets with whatever I wear up top. It’s also a lot of black.

When it gets really cold, I think function > fashion always. It’s stupid to watch a dude in a denim jacket freeze when it’s 30º for the sake of a fit. Dude put on a puffer vest! A hoodie! Layer dude.

It took me a while to appreciate the functional layering but I think now it’s how I get out the door 75 percent of the time, especially if I have errands to run or things to do.

What does your footwear rotation look like for the season?

I already mentioned the Paracia boots, but another beefed up boot is the Blundstone 990. It’s not nearly as heavy as you think it’ll be, comfortable enough to wear all day, and doubles as a great errand boot. I got a pair of Trickers that I resoled a while back that’ll outlive me and the thick Vibram will see me through the snow.

For ‘nicer’ days that don’t necessarily require lugged soles, the Red Wings 8133 is a workhorse and I hope they re-release them one day. I also alternate between the black & brown 3sixteen side-zips and I think they’re worth every penny.

For low tops, I got my original, decade-old cooked pair of Common Project Achilles making a return to make sure no one thinks I’m new to this, smh. Paraboot Michaels with the pony suede for when I’m feeling weird, and the Keen Jasper Zionic has been a life saver on the wet days.

Any must-have lightweight jackets you recommend for layering in the fall?

Oh I’ve been wearing two jackets non-stop, first is the 3sixteen BDU that has more pockets than I can count and fits great as is, or can fit a hoodie underneath.

I am also super hesitant to order from any brands that I stumble upon on Instagram…but…I did cop a blue French chore coat from Colour Plane on a whim and it’s been super useful and fits really well. I gambled and won.

Also my Stone Island waxed cotton Tela jacket is worth every single and everyone should own one.

Are there any new pieces or trends catching your eye this season?

I said it the other day but I am so, so late to the gorp movement and am playing catchup. Anything that can be worn to hike a mountain and a Whole Foods run is versatile enough for anything you can throw at it.

Just recently stumbled upon what Beringia is doing with their dragonfly waterproof jackets and I’m obsessed. Just need more gorp brands to offer up more darker colors besides black and grey.

Do you follow any personal style do’s or don’ts for fall dressing?

Do: Long coats, if your body type allows for them. Something great about a jacket hitting at your knee or lower that feels right. I think more people should experiment with different lengths this fall and see what works.

Also I’ve softened my position on slimmer jeans. If you can put it off without them looking like jogging, do your thing dawg.

Don’t: I’m right with Leon on this one. Short sleeves with a puffer makes me want to gag. I feel the same way when I see guys, in 2026, try to tuck their jeans into their LL Bean duck boots. Bro what are you doing???

Chris Ta — Boulder, Colorado

Head of Community, Sprezza

What’s the one item you’re most excited to wear this Fall?

Vintage BDU jackets. I’ve amassed a solid gang of BDU jackets over the spring and summertime, and I'm really excited to wear them this fall. Some are vintage, and some are new. The color selection includes: classic M81 woodland camo (vintage), tiger stripe camo vintage), sun-faded Olive (vintage), and stone-washed black and brown (both from OrSlow).

For me, the BDU has become a great substitute for the chore jacket aesthetic. I love how they fit; I prefer an oversized silhouette, so most of the pieces are large or extra-large, just enough room to layer over a hoodie comfortably. Also, the functionality of the pockets is essential. My fall EDC typically consists of: Werther's, cough drops, wired earphones, portable battery, mini quick-charge wall charger, and sunglasses.

How would you describe your go-to cold-weather look?

Layered enough to never shiver. But strategic enough that I’m never stuck with what I start the day with; the intention is about delayering as the day goes on without having to carry too much excess. Always good to be overlayered than to run into a “should’ve, could’ve, would’ve” scenario.

What does your footwear rotation look like for the season?

If there’s a general theme, it would be leathers. I’ve been straying away from sneakers in general. My rotation this season is boots, lugged boat shoes, derbies, and gorp sneakers.

Big fan of Timberland for daily drivers. Best bang for your buck in terms of cost, durability, functionality, and ease to style. Other brands in the rotation include G.H. Bass, Hender Scheme, Village PM, and The North Face.

For lazy days, because lacing up boots or shoes every day is a pain, I like to slip into Hender Scheme mules. They’re timeless and can last forever.

Any must-have lightweight jackets you recommend for layering in the fall?

Not technically a jacket, but they’re warm like one; the Camber thermal zip hoodies are an absolute staple. Best purchase I’ve made in a long time. You can find them new for $110 or find secondhand ones for $30-100. I’m convinced I’ll be good with just this hoodie most of fall and deep into winter, as long as conditions aren’t wet.

Are there any new pieces or trends catching your eye this season?

One theme I’ve been really prepping for this fall because it complements the directions my closet is going is pops of red styled with black outfits. I’m a sucker for an all-black outfit with something like a red hat, red socks, or a red hoodie. This works with whatever color pop you desire; it doesn’t have to be red.

Do you follow any personal style do’s or don’ts for fall dressing?

I don’t have any specific do’s or don’ts. But a general rule of thumb that I like to suggest to anyone who asks for guidance: Trends come and go; find what makes you feel comfortable. You can look at all the guides and top products list you want, but if it doesn’t resonate with you, it’s simply not going to work.

Robbie Seneschall — London, England

Head of Social, Sprezza

What’s the one item you’re most excited to wear this fall?

My Barney the Dinosaur-coloured Studio Nicholson knit. I managed to get toothpaste on it at some point last year and put off getting it dry-cleaned. I finally did that in the middle of summer and have just been sadly eyeing it up ever since.

How would you describe your go-to cool-weather look?

I’ve been shoehorning as much of my cooler weather clothes into the latter stages of summer, with some gloriously sweaty results.

There are about five pairs of jeans that get tons of wear, along with some slightly heavier shirting. Cap that off with a jacket or vest; three layers is the sweet spot.

What does your footwear rotation look like for the season?

Brown. I didn’t realise how much my taste in brown shoes increased until I got them together for the picture.

That said, most of my gallivanting will be done in the Merrell 1TRL Wilderness, which is the perfect stomper for London. There’s always space for my favourite shoe of all time, the Nike Spiridon, which adds some much-needed colour variation to proceedings.

Any must-have jackets you recommend for layering in the fall?

Most of my light jackets come from my time working at Universal Works and are all great and easy to mix into outfits.

For me though, the pinnacle of jackets is nanamica. Nothing hits quite the same as a GORE-TEX number, which are cut so generously that, depending on what you wear under them, they can take you deep into winter too.

Are there any new pieces or trends catching your eye this season?

The thing I’m most excited about is people not wearing those Vibram 5 Finger Shoes when it gets too cold. I will never get them.

I think very little in my wardrobe is going to change to get me truly excited, but I’m really into Nitty Gritty’s own label (from a window-shopping perspective), particularly the jersey they have in the new collection.

Also hoping Thurston enjoys more success as the weather cools; they’re doing something really simple, but for whatever reason I’m really invested and will very likely be wearing one soon.

Do you follow any personal style do’s or don’ts for fall dressing?

Purely preference/binding fixation, but I only ever wear white socks year-round.

Do: Continue to wear white socks (ideally Healthknit or RoToTo).

Don’t: Wear any socks that aren’t white (particularly if they are not Healthknit or RoToTo.

If you’ve been following along, we’ve already put together guides on:

• Knitwear

• Fall Jackets

• Fall Trousers

• Transitional Jackets

• Fall Footwear

If you’re new to the guides, we drop one a week and the categories are always different. If you want access to these shopping guides for yourself or a loved one, you can subscribe here.

A few notes about these guides ❤️

1. As always, if you’re looking for trendy shit on the cheap, this isn’t the best place to look. You need the right stuff, not more stuff.

2. A lot of these recommendations tend to be medium to higher price point (though not always). If you’re looking for quality, affordable options, I always recommend thrifting what you can (like eBay, vinted, etc), or looking at options like Uniqlo.

   1. If you like these guides, share them with a homie, partner, family member, lover, or anyone who would appreciate it!

Read more

When Dr. Jack Carlson left the company he founded, Rowing Blazers, in 2025, he wasn’t idle for long. Fast-forward six months, and he was officially named Creative Director and President of Ivy heritage brand J. Press.

For someone who holds a doctoral degree in Roman and Chinese archaeology, was on the U.S. national rowing team from 2011 to 2016, and spent his teenage years buying J. Press ties and Madras shirts from the Harvard Square location; it felt like a natural fit to lead such a storied company.

Carlson came into the fashion industry without much interest in looking at the latest runway shows or what was trending in fashion magazines. He’s still using that same lens a year into his tenure at J. Press: “It’s more about looking at the history and the meanings that we ascribe to clothes—the details, the cloth, the way it fits, the stripe of a tie, and the pattern of a tartan,” he says.

Since taking the helm, Carlson has been hard at work reviving the Ivy League-style company, starting with three runway shows, the most recent of which took place last month at Capitale on the Bowery. The Fall/Winter 2026 offering is built around American tailoring and British mills, including a Barbour collaboration and the brand’s first women’s capsule in fifty years.

Beyond appealing to a wider, younger audience without loosening the heritage reins too much, Carlson’s other mission is to get customers to drop into J. Press shops, too. J. Press’s parent company, Onward Holdings, would love to open up to 20 stores by 2030, and they’re headed in the right direction going into the brand’s 125th year. A new store at 340 Madison Avenue now occupies the southwest corner of 44th and Madison.

Back in July, before the most recent runway show, I had a chance to speak with Carlson, who’s also been dubbed the Indiana Jones of menswear, about shopping at J. Press, how he’s making the brand feel more inclusive, nerding out over teasel plants, and why relaunching women’s was important for the brand.

C/O Greg Kessler, KesslerStudio

You have a doctorate in archaeology from Oxford. How did that background unexpectedly prepare you to lead a brand with as much history as J. Press?

Well, all these things are connected in my head, and in how I think about things and look at the world. I studied Roman archaeology and Chinese archaeology—Qin and Han Dynasty China. So that’s basically the same period as the Roman Empire.

On paper, they’re not very connected, but part of what I studied was the visual trappings of status and power, and that includes clothes to some extent. You know, that’s sort of how I think about and look at clothing.

It’s not like I came into this because I was really interested in looking at the latest runway shows or what was trending in fashion magazines. It’s more about looking at the history and the meanings that we ascribe to clothes. The details, the cloth, the way it fits, the stripe of a tie, and the pattern of a tartan. That was how I came into this world, and that is kind of archaeology in a way.

And Rowing Blazers came out of a book I wrote, which is literally about the blazers that are worn in the sport of rowing. It’s very much about the meanings, traditions, history, and the sort of quirky rituals and the anthropology, in a way, behind these blazers and other accoutrements. Ties, caps, badges, buttons, pins, striped socks and all kinds of things in that world.

And now, in my role at J. Press, all of that is very relevant to this brand as well. It’s a brand with a very rich history. It’s a brand with a deep archive, and it’s a brand where there’s meaning, there are connotations, and there’s depth to everything.

Whether it’s the hook center vent, the soft shoulder, which way the stripes go on the tie, certain regimental stripes that come up again and again for J. Press, or some of the emblems or graphics that are used on ties and belts.

Yes, part of it is aesthetic, and it’s about how it looks and whether it looks good. Does it look flattering? Does it fit well? Is it a durable cloth? Is it functional? Yes, that’s all part of it as well. But where do we get those aesthetic judgments from? A lot of it is from history and from anthropology and the meanings and traditions behind it. And that’s so central to J. Press as a brand.

So that’s a long-winded way of saying, I think, while I don’t need to know the details of the Arch of Constantine to do my job at J. Press, the way of thinking about things from an archaeological and, to some extent, historical and anthropological perspective is all very relevant to my job now.

C/O J. Press

Do you remember your first J. Press piece? What did it feel like putting it on for the first time?

I think I bought a tie from J. Press when I was probably in eighth grade.

I loved going into J. Press in Harvard Square. It’s not like I was buying a lot of suits or anything back then. I wasn’t exactly that kid, but I loved looking at all the ties and little accessories. I had a lot of belts from J. Press also, very early on. I have a Madras tie that I bought at J. Press probably when I was in ninth or tenth grade.

But it was very cool going into that store. It felt like it had been there forever. You had all the old pictures on the walls, letters from the White House. I went to high school in Cambridge, Massachusetts—all the old pictures going back to probably the ’20s, I would say, of the rowing team from my high school on the wall, and some of the oars.

And it’s funny, you think they would have Harvard oars and Harvard crews, but they didn’t. They had the high school, maybe because it’s kind of a Yale brand at its heart, so they wanted something local, but not Harvard exactly.

But it was just such a cool thing. Like those types of stores, like J. Press in New Haven, or the old J. Press store in Cambridge. It’s the closest that you get in real life—if I can be very millennial for a second—to, like, when Harry Potter goes in to pick out his wand.

J. Press NYC Flagship Store on 44th and Madison
C/O J. Press, Alex Arnold

For some people, Ivy style can feel exclusive or elitist. How are you making sure the J. Press of today feels welcoming instead?

I’ve always thought Ivy style, preppy style, whatever you want to call it, is for everyone. I think just through my work at Rowing Blazers and at J. Press, for that matter, I hope that comes across.

I grew up when preppy was very much in vogue, and we’re in a little bit of that time again now.

But you’d go into these stores, and there’d be the ad. I remember seeing one; I’m not going to say what brand, but it was like a rowing boat, eight guys, eight rowers plus a coxswain in the rowing boat, and they’re all wearing jackets and ties. And they’re all blonde-haired, blue-eyed, square-jawed, white guys in the boat.

And I come from the sport of rowing. I was on the national team from 2011 to 2016, and I’ve always been interested in menswear. And seeing that kind of picture is just so cringey to me and not cool. I’ve always tried to make our campaign shoots and shows not like that.

C/O Greg Kessler, KesslerStudio

You helped shape some great collaborations at Rowing Blazers. What lessons from those partnerships are influencing how you think about collaborations at J. Press?

At Rowing Blazers and at J. Press, it’s kind of personal.

It’s people and brands and stories that I’m naturally drawn to. I think it’s got to make sense for the brand. It can’t be so far outside of the world that it makes no sense and you can’t really explain it. It’s got to be something that lets both brands put their spin on something that’s a little bit outside the box.

When I always thought about it at Rowing Blazers, it has to be something that lets you kind of paint out the corner a little bit further of the picture of what the world of Rowing Blazers is.

Like, sometimes it’s a watch, and it’s a very expensive watch. Sometimes it’s a sneaker. Sometimes it’s a brand like Target, and sometimes it’s a brand like Gucci. And that’s always kind of the fun for me.

C/O Janice Yim, KesslerStudio

J. Press still makes much of its product domestically. How has the brand been able to maintain that commitment as it has grown?

Man, it’s been crazy. I’ve spent a lot of my time, especially when I first started, visiting factories. I think it was on my second day at J. Press that I went to our tie factory. I’ve told this story before, but it’s maybe worth repeating.

I met this guy there who has been making ties for J. Press for over 50 years. He’s a Holocaust survivor with an amazing story. He came here in the late ’40s as a teenager, and he’s still in there at nine o’clock in the morning, cutting ties. It’s insane, and he’s done very well.

At one point, he started as a kid running errands for a tie store on the Lower East Side. Then he learned how to make them. At a certain point, he bought the building where the tie factory was, which now has not only the tie factory but also corporate offices. And it’s also amazing that he’s still in there cutting ties every day.

I started off visiting a lot of the domestic factories. Shirts, tailored clothing, ties, of course, and rugby shirts. Earlier this summer, I was in Scotland and England, and way up in Shetland, which is in the middle of the North Sea, closer to Norway than to Scotland, to visit our factories there, where we make the Shaggy Dog sweater, which was very special.

I had never been to Shetland before, but it’s an amazing place. It’s like ten sheep for every person. And not many brands, by the way; there are a lot of brands that make Shetland sweaters. Almost none are made in Shetland using Shetland wool. The J. Press Shaggy Dog sweater is actually made in Shetland, using Shetland wool.

I think people vaguely might have a sense of this, but I’m sure they don’t really know the J. Press Shaggy Dog sweater is not just a Shetland sweater, but it’s also brushed in a very special way that is proprietary to J. Press.

And I met this guy named Ian, who brushes every J. Press Shaggy Dog sweater, and his grandfather also brushed all the Shaggy Dog sweaters for J. Press. And there’s a picture of Ian’s grandfather standing there in the factory with the brushes and whatnot, standing next to Prince Philip.

This is a crazy thing that nobody really knows. But when I knew they were brushed, I pictured it as someone with a brush in their hands and whatever. It’s not even a brush. It’s something called teasels.

Teasels are a type of plant that has a stalk and a spiny head with all these curved barbs on it. But J. Press Shaggy Dog sweaters are brushed not with metal brushes or plastic brushes, but with teasels.

C/O J. Press

What can you tell us about the Fall/Winter '26 collection? Is there anything you're especially excited for people to see?

There’s a lot that I’m excited about. I think this season is more focused on tailored clothing, and maybe to some extent, it’s a little bit more grown-up.

J. Press started on campus by dressing Yale students, and I think that aspect of Ivy style is what the past few seasons have been about. I think this season emphasizes the more dressed-up aspects of the brand, like American tailoring, suits in particular, but also tweeds.

We work with these amazing historic mills in England and Scotland, and you see a lot of tweed—a lot of English and Scottish country aesthetic in the collection.

The other big thing is we’re launching women’s. It’s nothing outside the box, but we certainly have had the demand. I think even before I joined J. Press, there was demand for J. Press to offer women’s oxford shirts and women’s Shaggy Dog and women’s tweed sport coats, and navy blazers. And it’s like, yeah, we should.

Fran Lebowitz, for example, has been a J. Press customer for a long time. This is in the New York Times in 1997, but it’s like Fran Lebowitz owns like 4,000 Shaggy Dog sweaters. The article is called “Et Tu, Ecru?” But J. Press offered women’s in the ’50s and ’60s, so it’s not like something entirely that the brand has never done before, but it’s the first time in a very long time.

C/O Tom Concordia, KesslerStudio

Fast forward a week and I had become the owner of eight of the most popular trail runners on the market, and was tasked to review them all. As someone who is deep into a very subpar NY Marathon training block, it was nice to have some diversity added to the mix.

I'm skipping the deep spec talk since there are plenty of reviews already geeking out over weights and stack heights. Instead, I'm gonna try to match each shoe to the person I think it's for. Technical specs are below if you want them.

Few broad notes:

• 1/2 of these had Vibram soles, a small feature that I love and trust.

• I got all of these in an 11.5 except for the Salomon GRVL and Norda 055, both of which I got a 12.

• I’d gladly wear any of these on a hike, but not all of them on a trail run.

Let’s jump in.

Keen Seek - $185

You know what I miss? Being able to buy an affordable, reliable daily driver that always starts with no issues. Like a 2000 Toyota Corolla.

The Keen Seek is the indestructible 2000 Toyota Corolla of this list in the best way.

At $185 you have a workhorse of a shoe that avoids any fancy (and sometimes gimmicky) tech for the sake of building something that works without the fear of anything breaking on you. No complex lacing systems, no trademarked fabrics, no elaborate lug patterns — GOOD.

Its strength lies in its simplicity and ability to be worn anywhere, from a muddy, technical trail to a quick Trader Joe’s grocery run. The shoe is comfortable, the laces are grippy, and you have a pretty generous toe box for when your toes start to get bloated after a few miles.

This is the pair I would recommend the most to anyone looking to start trail running this fall. I think it’s a pair that punches way above its price point, and when you’re a few miles deep into the woods you’re going to want something that will get you back to your car reliably every time.

The North Face Altamesa 500 V2 - $170

A few months ago we dropped a piece on The North Face’s footwear offerings and I’ve been looking to try out a pair of their sneakers ever since.

The Altamesa really looks just like a road shoe, and it actually feels like one as well. Going from a pair of my road sneakers to trail sneakers, there usually was some sort of adjustment; not with these. The geometry, the front rocker, and the cushy sole really gives you the confidence that you could take these out for a run both on and off trail.

I think that’s where these shine actually, as a really great entry point to hybrid running. Even with the lugs, it’s a really forgiving feel on pavement with enough cushion to keep you moving. And then if you happen to see a trail you can jump right onto it and keep going.

I'd also say these were the best looking pair I wore, and the ones that seemed least like I was being a gorp-core nerd while running errands. Any shoe that can be worn to eat miles on pavement, trail, and still be wearable to go grab a coffee is a win in my book. They also make a GORE-TEX version which is really cool and would probably serve you well in the colder weather.

Hoka Mafate X - $225

The Hoka Mafate X was the only shoe that audibly made me giggle.

Maybe it’s the massive stack height that made me 6’5” every time I wore them, or maybe it’s the fact that they bounce like moon shoes, or maybe it’s the carbon plate that feels like it’s pushing you forwards with every step…these shoes can really be defined as fast and fun. Even at slow paces or walking, I couldn't help but have a dumb smile on my face because of how good these felt.

And let me be clear that I am usually a pretty vocal Hoka hater when it comes to their road shoes since they usually feel like bricks on my feet and have no room for my toes. It feels like they cracked the code with the Mafate X. They should put this sole, plate, and toe box in every road shoe they make. I’d become a loyalist.

Because of how tall and bulky this pair is, I think it’s best left for long/ultra-long distance with stretches of runnable elevation as opposed to technical terrain. I’ve never rolled an ankle with these but based off the height alone, these were the ones on the list that I feared the most. If you’re looking to go on race-pace long runs through the woods in the utmost comfort, these are for you.

Salomon Genesis 2 - $150

Alright so unfortunately these didn’t work for me. Now most people would spin this into a ‘it didn’t work for me so they must be bad’ angle, but I really think I’m just not built for this specific shoe.

At 6’3” and +230 lbs, I am not a small guy and I prefer shoes with a bit more cushion and a taller stack height. These are almost the opposite; some reviews liken them to a more traditional trail running sneaker, being slimmer and thinner. I think for the right person, these are going to be incredible and very nimble. And if you need more proof go look at any of the many glowing reviews you can find online about them.

I will say I really loved the quick lace system, even if it did take a bit to get used to, and the sole was quite grippy.

So who are these for? Probably someone quick and light on their feet that’s looking to navigate through technical trails without all the extra cushion and with a good amount of feeling through the sole.

Merrell Agility Peak 6 BOA - $180

So I didn’t quite understand these at first (especially visually) and kept sending Leon photos about them with small complaints until he hit me with a version of “For a shoe that you seem to complain about all the time, you sure are wearing them an awful lot.” Damn. He was right. For as much as I thought they looked like clip on bike shoes, they did find themselves on my feet a lot.

Part of it has to be chalked up to the super cool and convenient BOA dials that made putting these on and off incredibly easy. They also made making adjustments on the fly so, so quick. I know a few brands use these and reviews seem to be steady across the board that they’re reliable.

The other part has to be what Merrell calls their ‘underfoot shield,’ which is a lightweight, impact-resistant protective layer in the midsole that keeps you from getting thrashed with sharp rocks or other garbage on the trail and it really is appreciated, especially when stepping over stones or branches. These were by far the most protective underfoot feel of the bunch.

I think you can run in these, but I’d argue that these excel more at traditional hiking paces as opposed to full on sprints. If you’re looking for great protection while still having a lot of maneuverability, these are for you.

Mount to Coast M1 - $195

I was originally looking to try out the H1 model but was convinced to run in the M1 instead and it was the absolute right choice.

Listen I don’t know what they put into their JETCELL midsole but it feels like a cheat code to running. It’s super plush and forgiving, but it’s also springy and has good energy return? Like you can stack miles without feeling the ache in your ankles and knees the next day which I appreciate as I age.

The sizing was a little strange and I saw a lot of comments online saying that these ran real snug in the upper, something I only noticed while comparing them to other pairs. They also feel a little shorter in length than the rest, might be worth sizing up a half size.

The dual lacing system here is really cool too. The lower half laces with a bungee and the upper half with regular laces, so you can loosen the toe box as your feet swell. Some call it gimmicky; I came around on it and appreciated it.

These are my top pick for the person looking to crank out ultra marathon distances in complete comfort and hope that the right shoe will help offset fatigue.

Salomon GRVL Concept - $250

The Salomon GRVL Concept is what happens when a brand decides to make a shoe that go anywhere at a moment’s notice.

Because it’s a hybrid sneaker, the lugs are much shorter than the rest of the batch but if I’m being honest, I never felt like they weren’t enough to dig in when needed. They’re big enough to give you confidence on the trails and just short enough to not drag on road runs. The quick lace system here also takes a bit to get used to, but it really does a great job of hugging your ankles and keeping your feet locked in.

I know Salomons are sometimes seen as the basic gorp sneaker, but I really think the GRVL Concept is Salomon at their best and most technologically impressive.

Is it the best road shoe? No. Is it the best trail shoe? No. Is it the best road-to-trail shoe that does a pretty great job at both? Absolutely. And at $250, you’d be hard pressed to be able to find a combination of 1 pair of road sneakers + 1 pair of trail sneakers that could perform as well in their respective areas as this pair can at both. Truly the best do-it-all sneaker out there.

Norda 055 - $325

Alright it’s time to be honest here. When I asked Leon about reviewing one pair of trail sneakers, this was the pair I was inquiring about.

If the Keens are the indestructible 2000’s Toyota Corolla, this is the indestructible 80’s Series Land Cruiser with a top of the line lift kit, 37’s, and armor all around. Those two pairs actually remind me of each other; very similar feel with very different executions.

This is the pinnacle of trail running sneakers and I fully understand the hype. It feels like they really thought out how to make the most overbuilt and reliable sneaker on the market without sacrificing performance along the way. Even though they look beefy and heavy, they were shockingly light and agile.

I also fully understand the $325 price tag too. The Bio-Dyneema® upper and laces are no joke, along with the Arnitel® midsole that both cushions you and springs you forwards, and the Vibram® Litebase® keeps you locked into the dirt…registered trademarks aren’t cheap, and it’s clear that no expenses were spared here. But when you’ve got people with +500 miles on one pair of Nordas, suddenly the price doesn’t seem too insane.

I’d say these are for the runner that’s locked into trail running and looking for the ultimate upgrade, or the person who just always likes buying the most expensive thing; either way you will not be disappointed.

Asking for one pair turned into eight, and eight pairs turned into the realization that there isn't really a "best" trail shoe, just the right one for where you're going and how you want to get there. Find yours, go find a trail, and let it rippppp.

And if you jumped straight to the bottom (no judgment), here's the TLDR: Starting out? Keen Seek. Road-to-trail commuter? Altamesa or GRVL Concept. Long and fast? Mafate X. Ultra comfort? M1. Light and technical? Genesis 2. Built-in protection? Agility Peak 6 BOA. Money no object? Norda 055.

As for me, it's back to the marathon block, but I have a feeling a few of these are going to keep sneaking onto my feet and leading me to the trails again soon.

Maybe it’s because I’m a swagged-out geriatric 80-year-old at heart, but there’s nothing cozier than a heavy shawl-collar cardigan or a soft-ass, dollar-thin cashmere sweater thrown over a T-shirt.

Sweaters come in all shapes and sizes (and zippers), but we’re highlighting what we think are the four most important: crewnecks, V-necks, rollnecks, and cardigans.

From Donegal-flecked patterns and Italian-made deep V-necks to maritime-inspired rollnecks and a mohair camo cardigan, there’s plenty here to bookmark, or flat-out double-tap for Apple Pay.

Here are 20 of the best sweaters right now, designed to be layered under lightweight jackets or even those GORE-TEX heavy-duty puffers, too.

If you’ve been following along, we’ve already put together guides on:

• Fall Jackets

• Fall Trousers

• Transitional Jackets

• Fall Footwear

• Socks

If you’re new to the guides, we drop one a week and the categories are always different. If you want access to these shopping guides for yourself or a loved one, you can subscribe here.

A few notes about these guides ❤️

1. As always, if you’re looking for trendy shit on the cheap, this isn’t the best place to look. You need the right stuff, not more stuff.

2. A lot of these recommendations tend to be medium to higher price point (though not always). If you’re looking for quality, affordable options, I always recommend thrifting what you can (like eBay, vinted, etc), or looking at options like Uniqlo.

   1. If you like these guides, share them with a homie, partner, family member, lover, or anyone who would appreciate it!

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Tons of retail shops today can feel cold and purely transactional. And I get it. Owners are there to run a business, pay their bills, and support the employees and designers they carry.

But the best brick-and-mortar shops feel more like a third space: somewhere to hang out, listen to new music, sip a glass of L’Anglore wine, and feel encouraged to linger.

That’s always been the case with Brooklyn-based shop Million Goods. Co-founders Drew Kaufmann and Matt Reyer opened their first shop in Greenpoint in 2024, while their newest flagship just opened a few weeks ago in Fort Greene at 201 DeKalb Avenue.

Their roster of brands includes some of the more IYKYK names in fashion, like ssstein, Ranra, and Berner Kühl, but “the space itself focuses on culture and lifestyle rather than purely product,” says Kaufmann.

They’re aiming to attract customers who are interested in things beyond clothing, whether that’s music, art, or hospitality.

You may show up for the clothes, but one look at the interior and it’s easy for your curiosity to shift toward the all-red spiral staircase by Gjergji Shkurti, the lighting by Louis Poulsen, or the furniture pieces by Frama and Emeco.

With both shops open between 10 and 12 hours a day, the spaces need to be somewhere people actually want to spend time.

“If we’re asking people to spend an afternoon with us, the room has to actually be comfortable for an afternoon and a place you want to hang out,” says Reyer.

For our latest installment of Shop Talk, we caught up with Kaufmann and Reyer to discuss how they decide which brands to bring into the store, the new brands they’re excited about, how physical retail became the impetus for opening Million Goods, and what they’re currently enjoying about menswear.

Drew Kaufmann (L) and Matt Reyer (R) c/o Andy Zalkin

For anyone who may not be familiar with Million Goods, how would you describe the shop and the kind of customer you’re speaking to?

DK: We are a contemporary menswear shop that houses a hi-fi listening bar and wine program focused on low-intervention producers.

The space itself focuses on culture and lifestyle rather than purely product, and I think we’re looking for customers who appreciate that and are interested in things beyond clothing, whether that’s music, art, graphic design, hospitality, etc.

We want to be the first place people come to when they want to talk about a musician they’ve been listening to or a gallery opening they saw, in addition to a place they come to shop.

When you’re deciding whether to bring a brand into the shop, what are you looking for?

DK: I think what’s most important to us is if there is a tangible culture behind the brand, whether that is Nicholas Daley’s references to reggae music or Études’ book publishing arm of the brand.

We want to show how several of these clothes are products of the lifestyle and interests of the brand founders, and not the other way around.

We see the way we dress as a product of our cultural interests and are looking for brands that embody that.

Are there any newer brands in the shop that you and the team are especially excited about right now?

DK: Absolutely, this is our second season working with ssstein. The quality is fantastic, and the clothes feel super effortless on the body.

We just started working with École de Pensée out of Montreal. We didn’t have anything more tailoring-oriented in our product mix, and it was super exciting to meet the guys, learn about their roots in both skate and graffiti culture, and how that influenced their journey into becoming tailors. It felt like a natural fit.

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Have you ever brought in a brand that ended up resonating with customers in a way you didn’t expect?

DK: Definitely. I think part of being a buyer is being on the floor and seeing what people gravitate towards and how they talk about the brand before you’ve introduced it to them.

There are always surprises where a brand means something different to you than your customers, and the product you picked up the brand for ends up being a lower performer, while the product you figured you’d just try is what sells out.

We thought people would gravitate towards Berner Kühl’s more sportswear-influenced pieces, but it turns out they wanted shirting and Loro Piana fabrics from them. You’re always learning.

You opened your first location in Greenpoint in 2024, and just a few weeks ago opened your second in Fort Greene. What keeps you excited about physical retail, and what did you want the new space to do differently from Greenpoint?

DK: I would say, by and large, physical retail is our impetus for being.

In the 2010s and after the pandemic, we were watching brick-and-mortar be decimated by e-commerce, and we really wanted to create a model that would allow small independent retailers to stand up to those larger forces.

I think we’re just really excited to have found something that resonates with people and to continue facilitating our space as somewhere people can congregate around their shared interests. With the larger space in Fort Greene, we’re not planning on changing too much, but instead having a larger canvas to continue storytelling and building our community.

There’s a real emphasis on creating a place where people want to stick around, from the hi-fi sound systems to the natural wine bars. Why is that sense of lingering and discovery so important to the way you think about retail?

DK: I think that comes from my experience as a teenager, when on the weekends there wasn’t much else to do besides go and hang out at the skate store.

We’d spend hours bantering with the employees there, and it’s where I was introduced to brands like Supreme and Stüssy. In the end, we wanted to recreate that experience for people based on our current interests. You can come, have a glass of wine, listen to a record, and spend an afternoon with us the same way we did as kids.

That same attention to detail extends beyond the clothing, with furniture from FRAMA and lighting by Louis Poulsen. How do those choices fit into the larger experience you want to create in the shop?

MR: It’s the same filter we use for the clothing. Louis Poulsen is a company with a real point of view behind the product, and you can feel that when you’re sitting in the room. They’re doing something specific with light. Everything is shielded, so you’re never looking at a bulb. It’s all warm and low, and it makes people settle in.

We used their stainless-steel PH 5s and AJ Eklipta indoors and then carried it into the garden with the Flindt bollards and post, so the whole building reads as one place after dark.

Furniture is the same idea. The Emeco stools at the bar, one-sided banquettes facing the room, an assortment of stools, so there’s always somewhere to sit and no signal that you should be moving along.

If we’re asking people to spend an afternoon with us, the room has to actually be comfortable for an afternoon and a place you want to hang out.

The staircase does something similar in the other direction. Finishing it in our red makes it the thing you notice from the entrance, and it plants the question of what’s upstairs before anyone tells you.

That’s the movement we want in the building: you have a glass of wine, you look at the garden, and at some point curiosity takes you upstairs on your own time rather than because someone walked you there.

The smaller details do a lot of that work too. We pulled the red from the staircase into the outlets and switches, which is the kind of thing you only catch on your third or fourth visit. The limewash has the same instinct—European-inspired, matte, and a little uneven, designed so the building doesn’t feel like it opened a few weeks ago. Nice objects are a nice byproduct, but the goal is that the place feels lived in and nobody feels rushed.

Stepping back from Million Goods, what are you seeing in menswear right now? Are there any shifts or trends that you’re particularly excited about, or any you’d be happy to see move on?

DK: I’m really enjoying seeing the return to presentations and runway shows with an emphasis on music.

I think designers are seeing it as an opportunity to do more than showcase clothing, and it’s been really fun seeing musicians we’ve worked with get involved in that storytelling. Sunflower had a fantastic show at Pitti for their SS27 collection that featured an original score by August Rosenbaum and Jakob Littauer. That was really exciting to see.

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Generally, fall dressing is way better because you get to layer and wear interesting textures like corduroy, canvas-twill, cashmere, and even jeans again. Remember what it felt like for denim to grace those pasty thighs of yours? Neither do I, but I’m happy to get back on the jeans wagon.

For footwear, like my clothes, I’m a simple guy who knows what he likes, what looks good on him, and what I’ll actually wear. I’ve never waited in lines for anything and have always found sartorial bliss in, uhhhh, general releases, which can feel basic to most these days. But I don’t usually shy away from neutral tones. If something is electric blue or fuchsia, chances are it’ll collect cobwebs more than it’ll collect footsteps.

Below are five footwear options I’m excited to wear for the season. I’ve been loosely wearing some of them over the summer, but most of these will get tons of wear with the pants, jeans, and outerwear (oh, how I’ve missed her!).

Reebok Club C 85, $85

No, I haven’t been Celine-pilled by their Freestyle Lo collab with Reebok, but I must say, classics are classics for a reason, and sometimes all you need is an all-black colorway with a gum outsole to make them feel fresh again.

I know the all-white versions are cooked these days, so that’s why I don’t mind going with these. I’ll wear them with everything from my Earth\Studies pleated nylon pants to a Canadian tuxedo and charcoal-colored denim. The silhouette reminds me of a skate shoe, and the price tag makes these perfect everyday beaters that’ll look better the more you wear them.

Birkenstock Utti Lace, $165 / $107.25

I’ve only ever owned Boston Clogs and the Naples Clogs from Birkenstock, so I was interested in getting a pair of lace-ups from the heritage German brand. The vamp is similar to Paraboot’s Michael shoes, but with a barefoot, cork-footbed approach.

I’ve always had a soft spot for that kind of geriatric-AARP footwear-core, and I can’t wait to get some fits off with these. They’re surprisingly lightweight, and that cork-brown Pantone is versatile enough to go with everything in my closet.

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Danner Trail Field Low GTX, $300

Sometimes brands are late to the product party, but that doesn’t make the executed result any less interesting. Danner’s Trail Field Lows remind me of a mashup between Diemme’s Cornaro hiking boot and Merrell’s 1TRL Wilderness low-top boots, with their slubby suede texture.

Obviously, Danner’s footwear is second to none, and these will log a lot of miles, especially with that hefty GORE-TEX liner and Vibram outsoles. These will most definitely be worn on those sub-30-degree days, too.

Mephisto Adrien Boat Shoes, $369

While I have and love Mephisto’s Match sneakers, I equally love their boat shoes. They’re a good option, too, if you have boat shoe fatigue from the usual nautical suspects, so I was happy to see the French footwear brand offering these.

As I mentioned, I love a shoe that’s comfortable and could probably outlive me (not to get too dark), but the leather on these is primo, and these are the most comfortable boat shoes I’ve ever owned.

They come with their own removable insole, so the comfort is portable enough to grace your other shoes, and the shock absorption won’t have your dogs barking or your back in shambles.

Sabah Bolo Loafers, $375

Loafers are always tricky because my foot is dumb narrow, but these in a 40 (US 8–8.5) are money. The leather is supple and only gets softer with more wear, and the leather outsole is durable enough to last a lifetime; I wouldn't bother wearing them in the rain or snow.

I’m not one to go sockless with my loafers because I’ve been betrayed by blisters before, so I’ll throw on a thicker athletic sock or even a wool sock—now that we’ll start to get a slight chill in the air.

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Which leads me to Copenhagen-based utensils, drinkware, and tableware company Service Projects. They’re making some of the most interestingly designed everyday objects. Pieces you’d enjoy while sharing a conversation over an age-old family recipe or sipping coffee from one of their American-inspired diner mugs.

I became a fan of the brand after getting a set of their brushed stainless steel coffee mugs and saucers. I’ll line one up with some digestive biscuits or pretzel M&M’s while typing away at night. Founder Philip Seerup says, “We want to design pieces that are durable, functional, and versatile, that can be multifunctional in many ways, but also bring out the best of the material as well.”

The former professional badminton player turned tableware brand founder had friends who were chefs and noticed that they used stainless steel in their professional kitchens every single day. In Scandinavia, however, you would rarely see a material like that in a private home. The contrast sparked an idea for Seerup, and eventually led him to start his own thing.

I spoke with Philip last month about starting the brand stateside before moving it back home, breaking down the differences between the materials the brand uses, why everything they put out needs to be accepted by the hospitality sector, how all the guys at the JJJJound office love the cafeteria mug, and his pseudo “best of” coffee and dinner list for the next time you find yourself in Copenhagen.

Can you tell me a little about what you were doing before starting Service Projects in 2022?

I played professional badminton. I played my entire life, and I played a little bit for Team Denmark, competing on the European tour and trained at the national center.

When I was around 23, I was also studying economics and business administration on the side. In Denmark, athletes get a lot of support, so you’re able to complete your university degree in four years instead of three.

So I took advantage of that and finished my bachelor’s degree. When I was about to graduate, it was basically either: play badminton full-time for the next 10 years and do nothing else, or do something completely different. Then COVID hit, so I had some time to think about it because we couldn’t really travel. I wanted to have a regular job, even just a student job, but I didn’t have any prior work experience, so nobody would hire me.

At that point, I thought, “All right, then I’m going to start my master’s degree.” Because of the support I was receiving as an athlete, I couldn’t just go straight into the program. My girlfriend had moved to New York for work, and I was like, “Can I tag along?” I really didn’t have much else going on, and I also needed some fresh air.

So, we moved there. Then we got settled, and I started figuring out what to do. I’ve always been into cooking. Because I played badminton, I had a lot of spare time when all of my other friends were working or studying, so I was able to cook a lot from an early age.

Then I had some friends who were chefs, and I noticed that they used stainless steel in their professional kitchens every single day. But in Scandinavia, you would never really see stainless steel in a private home.

And I thought, “That’s a little bit strange,” because I cooked often and could see how functional it was. You could put it in the oven; it was easy to clean, and it was really durable.

I also thought it looked quite different from what was popular at the time, when there was so much handmade ceramics. Do you remember that period when everybody was making ceramics and doing that themselves? I was so tired of burning my hands on coffee cups and all of that stuff.

So I thought, “Hmm, I’ll actually just find some products, build a little website, and try to sell stainless steel tableware.”

That was basically the idea. I spent all my time in New York doing the groundwork: finding manufacturers, learning how to build a website, and figuring out all of that stuff.

I started with, I think, 10 SKUs or something like that. They were all white-label products—the same things they used in industrial kitchens—but I sold them to private customers with a little bit of modern branding.

Then we moved back to Copenhagen, and I started the brand there. So that was sort of the beginning.

You started Service Projects while living in New York, and now you’re back in Copenhagen. How has being back home influenced the brand?

I think I took a lot of inspiration from New York. Everything is a lot bigger than it is here in Copenhagen, especially in the States. And then, when we were in New York, everybody was like, “Oh, you know, stuff from Copenhagen or stuff from Denmark is so nice because it’s Scandinavian design,” and all of that. I got a little tired of that.

So I think the approach that I picked up and was inspired by was this international approach, where people don’t really know that we’re from Copenhagen.

I feel like we get that quite a lot, and we also have bigger markets in the UK and the US than we do in Denmark. I think that is something where, when we speak to, let’s say, retailers or restaurants, they don’t know where we’re from. And I really take that as a compliment because we don’t really want to be known as being from Copenhagen.

There will always be great stuff coming out of Denmark and Scandinavian design, but I think the current wave or trend will eventually slow down a bit.

A lot of people settle for pretty generic coffee mugs, utensils, and dinner plates. What did you feel was missing from those objects, and how did you approach making them feel different?

I think you’re right. I don’t feel like there’s too much innovation going on in the industry. To be fair, I think the barrier to entry is quite high. To design these sorts of things and be quite young and start a brand, all of the brands that you see are almost like heritage brands that have been around for so long, and there’s not that much newness coming in there either.

I feel like it could be a little bit more industrial-inspired. All the tableware there, because all the things that you would go to a real retail store to get were kind of cute in some way. And obviously, you can go to IKEA, which is another way of doing it. But if you went through a nice retail store, it was like handmade ceramics, not that functional. I think that was the kind of approach that I had. We want to design pieces that are durable, functional, and versatile, that can be multifunctional in many ways, but also bring out the best of the material as well.

Most of our glassware is stackable, too. Some people don’t really think about that, but it also optimizes storage in many ways. You know, people don’t really design saucers anymore because it’s expensive to manufacture the saucers there, because it’s like half the price, more or less.

And I was like, oh, all right, how can we design a saucer that is more versatile, so you can use it for something else? And I was like, all right, if we do it like this, then we can put olives in it, and when you’re done with the olive, there’s space for the pit in there. Or you can have olive oil, or a little snack, or something like that.

I think that is the design approach that we have in all of the designs that we’re doing. It’s like, you really need to live with the products to learn how to navigate them and to really feel connected to them as well. It’s not something we will tell customers they need to learn; it’s something they need to discover themselves in many ways.

There’s an interesting mix of references in the collection. From canteen-brushed forks inspired by ancient architecture to mugs influenced by American diners. How do you bring those different worlds together so naturally?

I think it’s going back to the international approach. You know, we live in a world where people are well-traveled and well-educated in many ways, and these inspirations are coming from two completely different things.

I love Greek columns. I was like, “This is so sturdy.” And then we were talking about a canteen and how that works in a canteen because it really needs to be doable there. I was like, “It’s like a column,” and I’ve just always loved columns.

But then again, with the diner inspiration, it’s completely different because that is much more Pantone-oriented. We went to all these diners when we lived in America, and I loved the culture that surrounded them. But I was like, “I see the same green cup everywhere,” and I was like, “That racing-green color is not for me.” I have something else that I’m interested in.

So, it’s two different approaches, but I think they both speak to the sort of service-proper aesthetics, colors, and design language that we really want to have in there.

And then it was also like, the diner needs to be sort of everyday porcelain, easy to use—because it’s not that we want to change anything about that culture. It’s more of a nod to the culture that they have built up over, I don’t know, more than 100 years.

Who are some designers or artists who have influenced the way you think about the brand?

I would say working a lot with Laura Bilde. She has designed several of our products. When we started, we were working with white-label products because I’m not a trained industrial designer. She approached us after a month and showed us a design that had never been released.

Then she came on board and started designing. I think we’ve just been talking so much about the products and working so closely together that now we kind of know what we like and how we want the design language to be. She’s definitely the person who has influenced me the most in terms of design.

I also think being an outsider in the design industry has influenced me. I don’t feel like an outsider, but I haven’t worked in the industry before, so I look at a lot of things and think, “This isn’t functional,” or, “You’ve just designed this to look nice on a shelf.”

What’s the process of sourcing materials like porcelain, stainless steel, and mouth-blown glass? Do you tend to start with a material and see where it takes you, or does the object come first?

I think certain products call for certain materials. Our core material has been stainless steel, which is what people mostly know us for. But I would say that, in many cases, we don’t really think too much about it. Right now, for example, we’re designing in terracotta, which is something you haven’t seen in a long time. It’s actually quite a nice material. It’s not like porcelain, which is really sturdy, but then again, you can put it in the oven.

So I think it’s different. Whenever we want to design delicate, high-end glassware for personal or home use that is really beautiful, then you need to make it mouth-blown because it’s sort of about the craftsmanship and the details you can achieve. And when we want to make the Canteen Bodega glass, there’s a nice difference there because that is sort of like hospitality glassware because it’s stackable. You can stack 20 of them on top of each other without really thinking about it.

With porcelain, we could also make stoneware, but we don’t want to do that because it’s not suitable for what we’re trying to achieve. Everything we put out needs to be accepted by the hospitality sector, because if it’s good enough for restaurants that are really high-paced, then it’s good enough for private people as well.

You’ve worked with JJJJound and Canyon Coffee, and you’ve also created an exclusive retail corner with Gem Home. What do you look for in a company or brand when deciding to collaborate?

I think it just needs to feel right, or at least that’s the easy answer here. When I was younger and growing up, JJJJound was such a cool brand and image library—just the best of the best. It all came together so naturally. It was like they purchased themselves just for their private homes, and then they just sent me a DM saying, “Oh, we really love what you do.”

I was like, “Let me know if you ever want to do anything.” At that point, we hadn’t done any collaborations when they reached out, because I was like, “There are also a lot of collaborations going on in this world, and we don’t want to put out anything that doesn’t feel right.”

Then we talked together about what could come out of it, and we were like, “All right, so we have this cafeteria mug.” Apparently, all of the guys at the office love the cafeteria mug, and I was like, “You know, it’s also so JJJJound-coded in many ways.” They were like, “Let’s just do it.” It’s sort of a nod to this imperfection of mass production—just print the logo at the wrong size, in the wrong placement, and all of that stuff.

Then, in terms of who we collaborate with, I think it’s just the people that we talk to at the office. I think you can tell quickly if it’s something that’s just happening because they have a budget and need to do a collaboration with someone versus if they’re genuinely nice about it and really curious.

I think that’s the most important thing for us.

Do you have any favorite restaurants in Copenhagen at the moment?

Yes, I do. There are a few. I would say there’s Apéro. Just in this city, they do snacks and small servings, and they have an incredible wine list. And then we have this open-faced sandwich tradition here, where we have places like Schönemann as well.

There’s so much good stuff here. I would also say Sakura, which is like an old Japanese-Korean restaurant. It’s really, really close to Apéro, actually. And then Maison is my all-time favorite. It’s like a French bistro. It’s where I go when I don’t know where to go. I go there. It’s just always on point.

In terms of coffee shops, there are so many these days, and they all look like each other. At Hotel Sanders, which I would say is the most international place in all of Copenhagen, they have my favorite cocktail bar called Tata. When you get in there, you have no clue that you’re in Copenhagen. It feels like you’re in New York or London. And then if you go a little more fine dining, I would say akmē is my favorite here in Copenhagen.

And then we also have a neighborhood sort of spot called Martini House, which is this classic American-Italian diner in the area where I live. It’s just in such a random place. It’s not something you really find in Copenhagen.

While we’ll save a denim roundup for another day, and you may already have your indigo-dipped legs covered, we figured we’d help you out with a more tedious clothing qualm: knowing what trousers to wear and how to thrive in cooler conditions.

From the triple-C’s of chinos, cargos, and corduroy to the trend-repellent fatigues, here are 20 of the best right now, all worth your time and hard-earned cold cash.

If you’ve been following along, we’ve already put together guides on:

• Transitional Jackets

• Fall Footwear

• Socks

• Ecru Garms

• Rugged Shirts

If you’re new to the guides, we drop one a week and the categories are always different. If you want access to these shopping guides for yourself or a loved one, you can subscribe here.

A few notes about these guides ❤️

1. As always, if you’re looking for trendy shit on the cheap, this isn’t the best place to look. You need the right stuff, not more stuff.

2. A lot of these recommendations tend to be medium to higher price point (though not always). If you’re looking for quality, affordable options, I always recommend thrifting what you can (like eBay, vinted, etc), or looking at options like Uniqlo.

   1. If you like these guides, share them with a homie, partner, family member, lover, or anyone who would appreciate it!

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The solution to getting through this grind? COPPING MORE RUNNING GEAR.

I think people get into running for different reasons, whether it be for health reasons or because you turned 30 or because you heard that hot people have dropped dating apps in exchange for run clubs — whatever the reason, you’re going to need some gear and boyyyyy do I have you covered.

And look, this isn’t for anyone who knows their stuff, this guide is for the intro-to-mid level runners who are trying to figure out what to buy after running in random raggedy basics for a few months or years. If you’re a sub-4 marathon runner, ignore everything in this list. If you’re just getting into running, then enjoy.

Gonna’ split this into (1) what I am currently wearing and (2) what I think you should wear too.

Let’s honor our Throwing Fits upbringing and start from the bottom up.

Sneakers

Currently wearing: As a hefty boy (well over 200 pounds and 6.25 feet in height) I am really drawn to cushioned super trainers. I’m currently stuck in the utmost perfect trinity of super trainers: Asics Superblast 3 + Adidas Hyperboost Edge + Mizuno Neo Vista 3.

All three of these offer versatility for everything from easy runs to long runs to tempo runs to everything in between, and I feel like at that +$200 range that’s to be expected. If you need ONE do-it-all type of shoe, one of these should be on the top of your list. Honorable mention to the RAD UFO cult favorite that just didn’t work for my foot.

What you should buy: Honestly this depends on what you’re looking for.

• Super Trainers: Anything I mentioned above.

• Daily Runs: These are shoes that you’ll toss on for your random runs or speed workouts. Not as cushioned, but versatile enough for workouts and shorter runs. Asics Novablast 6 or Adidas SL Evo or New Balance FuelCell Rebel V5.

• Race Day Sneakers: Usually carbon plated for SPEED, these aren’t meant to be your everyday pair, and most people won’t get the full benefits of carbon…but they’re so so so fun. Some favs are New Balance SuperComp Elite V6 or Adizero Pro 4 or Saucony Endorphin Elite 3 or the now ancient, but still relevant Nike Alphafly 3.

• Chinese Brands: New and still being tested, they seem to be outperforming most brands at a fraction of the price. They can be tough to find though so good luck! Major props to Hobby Jogger / Supwell for getting the poster child Dynafish Xiaonian stateside! For the rest you might have to google them and try your luck: Li-Ning Red Hare 9 Ultra or Li-Ning Feidian 6 Elite or ANTA C202 7.

• Trail: Got a review featuring 8 pairs of trail runners coming soon.

Bottoms

Currently wearing: Not gonna lie, all my runs are being run in shorts from Target that refuse to die. Got them in 2024 and they’re all still working. I am reaching the point where they’re starting to fall apart and so now I need to make a huge decision…

What you should buy: The loyalty to the 5” shorts has not failed me but everyone tells me once you go tights, you never go back. I do have a bit of fear of tights ever since I sat on the curb before the Brooklyn half only for a dude in a short tank top + one-size-too-small tights to come and start stretching in front of me.

There is a real risk of looking a bit indecent so make sure you wear a longer shirt please for the love of God.

For shorts, really into Raide Research and their TrailTech shorts; anything meant for ultras in the woods will be enough for your local 5K. They have loads of room for gels + water, and even extra room to store a windbreaker if needed.

More options:

Satisfy Space‑O™ 5” Shorts

Bandit VENTO™ 5” Shorts

Tracksmith Session Shorts

Unna Tempo Shorts

Literary Sport MORRISON 5” Shorts

For tights, I’ve been told the BOA Constrictor half tights are workhorses, and are priced very affordably as well, or if you’re into spending $200 and the words ‘micro-nylon’ do something for you, Satisfy’s TechSilk EVO’s might be for you. More options:

Path Projects Sentinel Tights

Janji Trail Half Tights

Currently Running M2 Pro 7.5” Half Tights'

Soar Marathon Cargo Half Tight

As for full tights…bro man up, there’s no need for full tights ever just run in shorts through 20 degrees like the rest of us. SMH.

Tops

Currently wearing: Old vintage cotton t-shirts and…you guessed it…running shirts from Target. You can actually get into running while wearing anything, but as you do more and more you’ll want something nicer than won’t irritate you as you sweat. A usual version of what I’d wear:

What you should buy: One of my favorite brands right now is Unna, and I love how they’ve managed to find fun ways to make tops that (1) are fun and (2) don’t take themselves too seriously and (3) don’t look like running tops.

Their Jogging 4 Fun shirt is my fav, and it comes in both long sleeve and short sleeve options. It’s good to have some short sleeves + long sleeves + thermals and mix them up as needed for whether it’s scorching or brick on your runs.

More options:

Gonggar Sports Hallowfall Striped Thermal Long Sleeve

Hermanos Koumori LS Race T-Shirt

Bandit Micromesh Run T-Shirt

Miler Running Empire Elite Work Running T-Shirt

Rabbit Tempo SS T-Shirt

Satisfy MothTech™ Baseball Tee

Minted All Season LS T-Shirt

In terms of outerwear, this is where I’d say my weak spot is as I usually end up running in the winter with an old Nike Therma-fit quarter zip they don’t make anymore and a random t-shirt on top.

I do think it’s time to invest in some proper outerwear though, something that I can wear as a shell for cold or rainy days. Gonggar Sports has this great moisture-wicking high neck hoodie that looks like it would do well in the cold. More options:

Hermanos Koumori Adi365 Running Vest

Soar Winter Anorak

Unna Smiles Run Jacket

Bandit Windproof Auragrid™ Jacket

Literary Sport Emerson Jacket

Accessories

Currently wearing: Here’s where allll the misc stuff lives; hats, socks, belts, watches, etc etc etc. Just gonna do a quick dive of things here, mix of things I own and things worth trying.

Big thing here is to find what works for you and not overspend on the overkill items, ex: You really don’t need a vest until you’re cranking out longggg runs. Buy what works and wear it often.

Hats:

• Alex Zono “I DIG RUNNING” Trucker OG

• Soar Run Cap

• Arc’Teryx Satoro Merino Toque

Socks:

• Adidas x Hermanos Koumori Socks

• Courier HiFi Socks

• Bandit Lite Run Socks

Belts:

• Flip Belt Classic

• On Speed Belt

Watches: Whatever you can afford! Garmin! Coros! Apple Watch! Anything to track your distance. Don’t go buy a $700 one either, you’re not an ultra pro (yet).

You’re kitted up and ready to go, now the only thing left to do is get out there. Sign up for a local 5K and get smoked by a 60-year-old. Maybe do a half marathon and get destroyedddd by a 60 year old. Or perhaps you do what I did and go right for the 26 miler only to…you get it.

Running has brought me a lot of freedom, along with levels of soreness I cannot fully put into words. But it’s also made me super aware that a huge part of caring about what you wear is making sure you can fit into cool clothing, and that requires maintenance.

Rick Ownes once said “Working out is modern couture. No outfit is going to make you look or feel as good as having a fit body. Buy less clothing and go to the gym instead.” — You’ve got to be active to enjoy clothing the most, and running is extremely easy to get into.

The reality is you probably won’t be able to outrun that 60 year old. But you sure as hell can look cooler than him. Go and cop in peace and get those miles in.

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It’s a month-and-a-half window at best, but transitional dressing is a godsend. Maybe you want to throw on an overshirt over your tees, or tuck in that “big” Oxford shirt and wear it with a tattered denim jacket you haggled for at a 7 a.m. flea market.

For the next few weeks, now’s the time to start lightweight layering before bringing out the heavy coats.

If you’ve been following along, we’ve already put together guides on:

• Fall Footwear

• Socks

• Ecru Garms

• Rugged Shirts

• Bags

If you’re new to the guides, we drop one a week and the categories are always different. If you want access to these shopping guides for yourself or a loved one, you can subscribe here.

A few notes about these guides ❤️

1. As always, if you’re looking for trendy shit on the cheap, this isn’t the best place to look. You need the right stuff, not more stuff.

2. A lot of these recommendations tend to be medium to higher price point (though not always). If you’re looking for quality, affordable options, I always recommend thrifting what you can (like eBay, vinted, etc), or looking at options like Uniqlo.

   1. If you like these guides, share them with a homie, partner, family member, lover, or anyone who would appreciate it!

Overshirts

Where to cop

Read more

Look, we know your inbox has been flooded with sales emails since last week.

And while we don’t send too many discount picks every day for Labor Day weekend, we figured we’d put together some of our favorite items and a few shops worth checking out.

In between manning the grill, toggling between football games and the U.S. Open, here’s one shopping roundup not worth slamming into your recycle bin.

Let us know what you end up getting!

Leave a comment

Leon’s picks

OUTERWEAR:

Parages Matt Jacket, $335 / $188

Alpha Industries Reversible M-65 Quilted Liner, $200 / $140

Frizmworks Edgar Plush-Trimmed Cotton-Canvas Jacket, $315 / $158

TOPS:

Filippo De Laurentiis, Long Sleeve Polo Shirt in Crepe Cotton, $295 / $163

YMC Military Shirt Blue Garment Dyed Poplin, $370 / $111

J. Press Light Grey Cotton-Cashmere V-Neck, $245 / $208

BOTTOMS:

Stan Ray OG Painter Pant, $110 / $77

Carhartt WIP Brader Short, $138 / $83

Snow Peak Nylon Washer Trousers, $154.95 / $92.97

SHOES:

KEEN UNEEK Sneaker, $150 / $90

Vinny’s Boatman Deck Shoe, $350 / $262

Saucony Shadow 6000, $130 / $87.95

Mariano’s picks

OUTERWEAR:

Heugn Albert Coat, $1,895 / $379

DAIWA GORE-TEX Windstopper Perfect Mil Field 2WAY Jacket, $890 / $445

Beam Field Jacket, $565 / $168

TOPS:

3Sixteen Western Overshirt, $245 / $185

Universal Works Coverall Jacket, $335 / $100

Coltesse Everyday Silk Shirt, $275 / $82

BOTTOMS:

Patagonia Lightweight All-Wear Gi Pants, ~$139, ~$97

Cueva x Camo Spectacular Air Trouser, $385 / $115

Stone Island Selvedge Indigo Denim-Raw Regular Fit Jeans, $499 / $225

SHOES:

Sunflower x Dime Brown Edition Cornaro Boots, $715 / $250

Vinny’s Aztec Boat Shoe, $360 / $270

COMME DES GARÇONS HOMME x Sanders Glossy Leather Derbys, $1,445 / $448

Brands and stores with great sales

Independence

Canoe Club

Notre

Windthrow

imogene + willie

Colbo

Today Clothing

Guevel

Todd Snyder

Big Rock Candy Mountaineering

Kristen was let go from her job in publishing during the recession and started making candles and selling them on Etsy in 2008. Fast-forward to now, and the company is almost 20 years old, with three brick-and-mortar shops in Brooklyn, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. I guess you can say the career pivot worked out.

I’ve been a fan of hers and the brand for a while, always having their Piñon candle lit in a corner of our home. I’m sure, like most millennials my age, P.F. Candle CO. was the first brand that introduced me to more earthy and spicy fragrances without the hefty price tag of Le Labo or Trudon. The amber-colored packaging and hand-stamped label never look out of place, whether they’re sitting next to another candle, on the mantle, or on a coffee table.

Of all the senses, smell has one of the most direct pathways to the emotional and memory parts of your brain, making a simple scent incredibly transportive. “It’s incredibly personal, and it speaks to the ritual of caring for your space and slowing down, even if it’s just for a second,” Pumphrey says.

I had a chance to speak with Kristen in July about how her job waiting tables inspired the candle vessel, how a huge order from West Elm solidified the business, what makes a collaboration worthwhile for the brand, her studio uniform, and her advice for entrepreneurs.

After losing your job in publishing and opening an Etsy shop, what made you land on candles? And what was the very first scent you ever sold?

I have to say, I think the first scent was probably Spiced Pumpkin, which is so funny now because it’s not what we’re known for. What we became known for is this unisex, very natural scent. So it’s ironic that the first scent was hyper-gourmand, sweet, and sugary.

But at the time, I really came into my side of the business through craft and through making things, and that’s just always been something I love to do. I spent my summers after school just making things. So this was basically when Etsy started taking off, and I thought, “I could do that. I want to do that. That sounds really exciting.”

So I came into it through candle making, and I already knew how to do that. I had my sister’s kit from when she was doing her home ec stuff. So I thought, “What? I can make candles. I already know how to do that. I already have some molds.” And I started pouring them.

I was making a lot of other things, too, but candles were the thing that stuck. We didn’t really hone in on the packaging, the way it looks now with the really simple font. It looks like a stamp because it literally was a stamp. I didn’t know any graphic design. I just thought, “What can I make that’s repeatable?” And I would hand-stamp every single label.

So that utilitarian need and function ended up becoming our iconic look. And then the scents that came along with it, the unisex scents, that’s what really made us take off.

When you look back at that journey, what stands out most? Were there any moments that changed the direction of the brand?

Yeah, well, having a kid changed the direction of the brand for me because before that, with just Tom and me, it was a very—it’s still a laid-back atmosphere, but it was very laid-back. We’re talking beers on the loading dock on Fridays. It was casual. We were probably 12 or 15 people.

So when I had my daughter, it sort of amped up the seriousness of, “Oh, shoot, this is a job now.” And it’s not just me on the line anymore. Honestly, that’s what continues to motivate me: thinking about, “How do I provide for my staff?” Not just myself, but we live in an expensive place, and I’m always just trying to chase providing a minimum wage. It feels really good that we’re able to pay people that and give them fully subsidized healthcare.

And it’s funny that seriousness sort of made me give that to all the rest of my staff, too. I’ve just been like, “Okay, I’ve got to provide for them.”

But I also always remember one of the biggest turning points, when we went from just me to being more than just me, was when I got this really big order from West Elm.

Tom was not on board yet—he was not my business partner, but he’d always help me at markets and craft fairs. He was just like, “Look, the future is very uncertain.” He was graduating with a degree in radio, television, and film, and NPR was laying people off. So he sort of took that mentality of, “Let’s make our own future,” and just said, “If you can go get that order, I will make all the candles with you.”

And that was just this massive turning point: getting our own studio and becoming a real business.

When you were first building the company, how much thought did you put into the vessel and packaging? Did you always want it to feel like something people would proudly display in their homes?

I think when I look at our packaging, I wouldn’t say that “pretty” is what drives me. What drives me is utility. It should be functional, and you want it to look good, but it shouldn’t be overly ornate. It’s very simple and functional, and it’s meant to be this everyday item. So you don’t need it to be over the top.

So much of that was just born out of the tools I had at hand and the process of working with them. I would just go to a container supplier, see what they had, and test different items.

The first candle vessel I ever used, though, came from when I was waiting tables. You know those pizzeria-style candles? My boss at the time would throw them out when we were done with them, and she let me take them home. I would pour candles into those, and they had this gorgeous amber glow because they were the yellow ones. I just couldn’t scale it. I stopped working there, so I couldn’t keep getting that item.

I think I wanted something brown or amber, and that’s where that seed came from.

Your scents feel really transportive. How do you go about developing a fragrance? Are there influences, like music, films, travel, and food, that shape the final scent?

The fragrance note ideas can come from so many places. Travel is a huge source of inspiration because I think anytime you can get out of your little pocket, it allows you to zoom out and get a bird’s-eye view. You’re not quite so myopic about your everyday life. You see things a little bit differently.

A lot of our fragrances are inspired by California. It’s not a strict rule, but we have a lot that are inspired by natural spaces. I love to hike and be outdoors, so I like things to smell natural-ish—very true to life.

But we also have a scent like Sandalwood Rose, and we wanted to capture the feeling of a gritty New York atmosphere—the streets, perfumes, and all of that. We call it “New York Meets LA” because it also has this floral component that feels very Los Angeles, like botanical gardens and all of that.

Why do you think people connect with well-designed candles and apothecary goods? Is it about taste, identity, creating a certain feeling at home, or something else?

I think people connect with fragrance and incense because it’s something you can’t really do online. It’s incredibly personal, and it speaks to the ritual of caring for your space and slowing down, even if it’s just for a second. Like, you cared enough to light a candle, you know?

In terms of identity, there are so many candle brands now that you can really find one that speaks to your scent identity, as well as your design identity. A lot of people connect with P.F. Candle CO. because we were born in California. Especially if they don’t live here but used to, they’ll be like, “Oh, I have my little piece of California.” They really connect with that part of the identity.

So, it’s everything. But scent is so closely linked to memory that it can really stick with you. The other night, I was burning incense to cover a bad smell, and I had to think so carefully about what incense I was going to burn because I was like, “I’m about to sacrifice this memory. What am I going to associate this scent with forever?”

What makes someone the right collaborator for P.F. Candle Co., and what are you looking for before saying yes?

So many of our collaborations are born out of genuine relationships. First, we have done the licensing thing. We did a Peanuts license that was really interesting because, being an independently owned brand, it was a very different experience. The math on that was really different. We had such high minimums to meet, so we had to really figure out: How many candles do we have to make in order to meet the licensing minimum?

But it was fun because we were creating these scents that were so inspired by nostalgic, iconic vintage Snoopy imagery. So that was really fun.

For some of our other collaborations, like Grillo’s Pickles, The Hundreds, and Toy Machine, we’ve worked with people where there’s already a genuine relationship. We have a few more collaborations coming down the line with coffee shops, and in those cases, we know them or already have a relationship with them.

I really like starting with the relationship first because you sort of get to know each other and figure out what sparks you. The Grillo’s collaboration was so fun because they have the same kind of energy as us. We work in a similar way, and it was just fun. We were like, “We’re going to create this true-to-life pickle scent.” It actually smelled really good.

For someone who just lights a candle whenever they feel like it, are there any underrated tips on when to burn candles versus when to reach for incense?

So I like to have at least an hour or two if I’m burning a candle. If I don’t have that much time, or if I have to step out to walk the dogs, I’ll burn it inside a little hurricane because that gives it extra protection, but it also amplifies the scent throw. If you’re burning it in a big space—my living room is kind of long, for example—I’ll burn it in the hurricane, and it fills the whole space.

Incense, I could burn all day, every day. I have to watch myself, though, and I always ventilate. I try to open a window or run the air purifier when I’m burning it. But the different forms—cones versus sticks versus paper—are where you can get kind of niche, because each one burns for a different amount of time.

What does a typical studio fit look like for you? Is there a uniform you've settled into over the years?

I have a uniform that I’m wearing right now, which is OG-107s. I found this amazing vintage fit guide on Substack about how to buy them and where to find them, and they are the best damn pants. I swear, they’re comfortable for travel, but they look cool, and they’re so rugged.

My fit always has to be about utility because I’m always riding a bike. So I either have to have a really baggy skirt at the right length or wear my OG-107s. I usually wear those, and then I’ve been living in these mini tees from Uniqlo. I have them in like five colors. This year, I said, “These are my outfits,” and then I just put one on in the morning and don’t think about it. That’s been very helpful.

And then I always wear Chucks in the summer. I might mix it up. I have this Todd Snyder x Gardenheir collab fisherman sandal that I throw on, you know. And then maybe a long jean short is entering the chat, along with an oxford. I’ll do a little oxford with a tank.

For someone hoping to start a business today, what advice would you give an aspiring entrepreneur in 2026? Is there anything you wish you'd known when you were starting?

I think you can do it now because I started this in the middle of the recession. You can sometimes get so scared when you’re at the bottom, essentially, and there’s a lot of fear. But this is also a time when you can really create your own opportunities, and create something that has meaning to you and where you see a need in the market.

That’s what we need right now: thoughtful, well-thought-out companies. So really, the biggest thing is finding that. I don’t want to say “finding the need in the market,” because that feels like it takes the heart out of it. But you will always be competing if you’re just sort of ripping someone else off. You want to figure out what it is that you do that’s unique.

That takes a lot of analysis, too. A lot of asking, “Why did that work?” Understanding the deeper connections behind why things worked can help you build a stronger business that’s very true to who you are.

The other thing is trying to find inspiration that comes from yourself. Getting off the internet is so important nowadays because I think you can end up creating things that you feel are an original thought, and then it turns out you’ve never had an original thought. You don’t know whether you’ve just absorbed something that’s been disseminated online.

We’ll release a candle scent and then see one of our competitors do an incredibly similar one, and they’re coming out at the same time, so we know we developed them in tandem. And it’s just like, well, is it the trend? Are we just having that collective-unconscious moment?

So I do enjoy the process of creating a little bit more in a vacuum and trying to draw inspiration from real-life experiences, because that’s going to create better work.

But it’s September, and we feel obligated to at least help you bookmark some weather-appropriate footwear before you adjust your thermostat.

We’ve put together some of our favorite shoes to carry you from now through that stretch when the leaves start crunching beneath your outsoles.

From moc toes and trail shoes to chukkas and derbies, we’ve got the kicks to take you from morning miles to bonfires, and hopefully everywhere in between.

If you’ve been following along, we’ve already put together guides on:

• Socks

• Ecru Garms

• Rugged Shirts

• Bags

• T-shirts

If you’re new to the guides, we drop one a week and the categories are always different. If you want access to these shopping guides for yourself or a loved one, you can subscribe here.

Subscribe now

A few notes about these guides ❤️

1. As always, if you’re looking for trendy shit on the cheap, this isn’t the best place to look. You need the right stuff, not more stuff.

2. A lot of these recommendations tend to be medium to higher price point (though not always). If you’re looking for quality, affordable options, I always recommend thrifting what you can (like eBay, vinted, etc), or looking at options like Uniqlo.

   1. If you like these guides, share them with a homie, partner, family member, lover, or anyone who would appreciate it!

Moc Toes

Where to cop

• Morjas The Camp Moc

• Sebago Ranger Waxy Moc

• Rancourt Baxter Ranger Moc

• Quoddy Blucher Shoe

• Studio Nicholson Guston Suede Shoe

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