Some stuff for spring
Spring style inspiration, a food & drink guide to San Juan, J. McLaughlin's brilliant fabrics, and more
Quick note
I’m testing a new curatorial format for emails. Rather than sending each of these as individual emails to your inbox, I’m rounding up everything in one send and linking to certain things as separate posts that you can find on our website.
Here’s what we’ve got today:
Check out this video series I launched on brand marketing (for my other business)
A brilliant spring styling lookbook that my brother, Kirk, put together
Diving into Thomas Mason’s fabric collab for J. McLaughlin
A closer look at the UK’s vintage watch scene
What to eat & drink in San Juan
Let us know what you think!
A little update
I’ve been waiting to share this for months, and it’s finally here!
Some of you may know I run another business (that’s called Hyper) with my friend Oren (aka @orenmeetsworld on Instagram).
We built it to be a creative resource for people in the brand and consumer world who want to think differently about how they market and position their products, campaigns, collabs, drops, etc.
We’ve been writing the newsletter for 2 years, and a few months ago, Air (a company we’ve for a while) asked us if we wanted to turn a lot of our newsletter topics into a video series.
And we said yes, emphatically, and the rest is history.
We’re in a moment creatively when it’s easier than ever to do whatever the f*ck you want, but the benchmark for what “good” looks like has gotten so distorted that people are losing sight of what it means to put real love and intention into their work.
So we wanted to create a new content format for sharing ideas and resources for those in the trenches.
Here’s episode one — watch it and LMK what you think :)
PS, this series is completely separate from my personal YouTube (which I’m working on the next few episodes for!).
For the next 6 weeks, we’ll drop a new episode exploring the strategies, tools, and behind-the-scenes workflows that power the world’s most creative teams.
Each episode is around 20-30 minutes long and packed with insights from designers, marketers, agencies, brands, creatives, etc. who actually walk the talk.
The only Spring lookbook you need
We need to restore the feeling when it comes to personal style content.
There’s a lot of anxiety (LOL) around developing your personal style — something I’ve talked at length about —having personal taste, WHAT IT ALL MEANS, and generally just figuring out how to live in a way that feels good to you.
But what my brother, Kirk (@thisguykirk on IG), is producing scratches that exact itch.
He’s just having fun with it! And we all need a little bit of fun in our lives. That’s why I love this series, where he quite literally takes stuff from his closet and finds unique ways to pair each piece into an outfit.
I love it. It’s clever, efficient, fun, no-nonsense, and it demystifies the false narrative around clothing. It’s just meant to be worn.
So check out the lookbook and give Kirk a follow!
These J. McLaughlin fabrics are insane
Over the last year or so, J. McLaughlin (known traditionally for its older customers and synonymous with East Coast prep) has been making some clever moves to refine its fits, level up its fabrics, and embrace a more editorial approach with its creative.
So, I had to sit down with my guy Chase Winfrey (ex Drake’s and J.Mueser), who works on the brand side, to chat about what I feel has been some of their best creative work yet.
And nowhere is that clearer than in their latest collaboration with Thomas Mason, the iconic British mill known for its archival shirting patterns and unmatched craftsmanship.
Here’s a deeper dive on the collab…
What drew you to work with Thomas Mason and Abraham Moon specifically? What do those mills represent for J. McLaughlin’s menswear evolution?
It all comes down to working with the people who do it best. Last autumn, our Brisbane Moss corduroy jackets set the tone- seeking out fabrics with real heritage and integrity.
Abraham Moon’s wool/linen blends have that perfect balance of texture and drape, paired with a distinctly British sense of color. And Thomas Mason- well, they’re the benchmark for luxury shirting.
Being able to comb through their century-old archive, to unearth and reinterpret stripes with real history, felt like stepping into the lineage of great shirtmaking.
The patterns and fabrics specifically are incredible; so vibrant and different from what we're used to from the JM men's side. How'd you land on this approach?
Color has always been part of J. McLaughlin’s DNA. Since 1977, we’ve had a knack for the unexpected- stripes and patterns that feel playful, a little offbeat, but still undeniably preppy.
Beyond the usual bengals and ginghams, we’ve always loved a bold multi-stripe, something with a bit of personality.
So, the Thomas Mason collection is a natural extension of that- taking that same sense of fun, maybe even a touch of the ridiculous, and weaving it into a beautifully luxe 100s 2-ply cloth.
It’s the best of both worlds: a little irreverence, done properly.
The new shoots in London and Napoli feel more editorial than ever—how would you describe this creative shift, and why now?
Glad you think so. A huge part of that is working with the right people- Jamie Ferguson in the UK, Lorenzo Sodi in Italy- photographers I’ve known for years who just get it.
They bring an authenticity and an effortless energy to the images that make the clothes feel alive.
The shift is really about taking J. McLaughlin back to its roots. When it started in 1977, just around the corner from JG Melon on the Upper East Side, it was a preppy brand, but in that easy, unaffected way- full of character, not costume.
The goal now is to tap back into that spirit, but with a fresh perspective. Preppy can be stylish, even a little rakish.
The trick is showing it in a way that feels real. And there’s no time like the present.
Tell us about yourself, background, and role at JM.
I grew up in rural Ohio- a world away from this style of clothing- which, in some ways, has been a real advantage. It’s good to be able to hold something out in front of you and look at it from all angles.
I moved to New York after fashion school and landed at Drake’s, where I helped open their first permanent shop on Crosby Street. It was a masterclass in taste and community- seeing firsthand how a great brand is built, one that became a blueprint for so many others.
From there, I spent years at J. Mueser Bespoke- learning how to craft an image, tell a story, and make the brand feel like a world unto itself.
Along the way, I did art direction and photography for brands like L.L. Bean, J.Crew, Ralph Lauren, Huckberry, and my good friends at Wythe.
Now I head up J. McLaughlin’s men’s brand- shaping everything from seasonal campaigns and ecomm imagery to product collabs and copy.
It’s been incredible to see how much the brand has evolved in just over a year- and hopefully we’re only getting started!
Exploring vintage timepieces
I’ve been excited to share this one for a while. Our London correspondent, Cody McKim, who wrote about London’s buzzing independent tailored clothing scene, did a nice profile on a couple of very legit watch collectors in London, and you should check it out.
There are some good bits for everyone in there, whether you’re buying your first piece or your 5th. I especially love the section about wearing vintage pieces, how to style them, whether the rules apply, and so on.
What to eat & drink in San Juan
It’s been a minute since we whipped these out, but Mat Spade, who is our travel editor and a master curator of good vibes, has just come back from San Juan with the rundown on what’s good to eat & drink there, so we need to share that with you.
He has a colorful eye for design, strong personal taste, building a home, and how to travel well.
If you want to get to know Mat better, here’s an interview I did with him last year. Also, please give Mat a follow for more zinger content.
Last, here are the guides we’ve done on:
Like this format - confirming my love for vintage Cartier, never looked at J. McLaughlin before (I wish they had tall sizes!) and instantly gave Kirk a follow. I love how "real" Kirk is and how he's wearing clothes he collected over time - this is how real guys dress.